


Colors Have Meaning, and Red Means "Fate"

by westywallowing



Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Alternate Universe - Fantasy, Alternate Universe - Royalty, Bodyguard Jeon Wonwoo, Bodyguard Kim Mingyu, Fluff, Herbalist! Jihoon, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi is Whipped, M/M, Mutual Pining, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Prince Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi, basically a Snow White with the Red Hair au, bcuz that anime is the s h i t, jihoon is quiet and cute, jihoon needs a hug, soonyoung needs a hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-09-29
Updated: 2021-01-21
Packaged: 2021-03-08 00:01:52
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 25,940
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26716444
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/westywallowing/pseuds/westywallowing
Summary: "We all, at any given time, desire real connections with others. On this path we cannot stop walking on, for something to stir us up in the depths of our soul. That is what we are looking for."When herbalist Jihoon is given an unexpected visit by a royal guard asking for his attendance at the palace to become the crown prince's new concubine, he's forced to flee to the neighboring kingdom. After meeting Soonyoung and his entourage of quirky swordsmen, Jihoon learns that fate can sometimes lead you places you never knew you were meant to be.
Relationships: Jeon Wonwoo/Kim Mingyu, Kwon Soonyoung | Hoshi/Lee Jihoon | Woozi
Comments: 42
Kudos: 107





	1. Daffodil: rebirth and new beginning

**Author's Note:**

> hello hello! welcome~
> 
> my second fic! so exciting! i can't wait to release more chapters and see what you guys think. this one is based off an anime I really enjoy, "Snow White with the Red Hair" which is super cute! I love fluff and simple romances (bcuz i'm an anxious wreck irl ahsdfghjkl)  
> I'm also so excited to write about our prince soonyoung, so charming ;) i also can't help but write jihoon quiet and a bit grumpy, but his sarcastic flare will come out, don't you worry~  
> I'm not sure what type of schedule I'm going to stick to with updating this fic as i'm currently in school completely online, so we're just going with the flow! I really do love writing soonhoon, so I plan to update it pretty frequently.  
> Anyways, please enjoy this royalty au! let's get this castle show on the road.
> 
> kisses! xo

Fate. 

What is fate supposed to mean?

Is it inevitable? Is it written? Is it molded? Can it be changed?

Jihoon would sure like to know. Because fate hadn't been too kind to him lately.

He had been out, wandering through his local forests. His natural habitat, his mom used to tell him. She would say he was like a fox, weaving through the trees and shrubbery without hesitancy. It was his domain, his second home, the one place he could take a breath of air and not feel like it was choking him. He knew every leaf, every root, every flower, every stem. Memorized into the core of his being, he didn't even have to ponder when searching for the right herb to put in Mikyung-ssi's back medicine. He knew exactly how much ginger to put in Donghyun-ssi's knee ointment. 

“There it is,” Jihoon crouches down by a bush, spotting the long leaves and yellow petals he was looking for on his walk. “Barleria lupulina, anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial.” he repeats to himself, unconsciously smiling. “It’s leaves can also be used for bites from animals. Seung-ah could use this when he gets into more trouble.”

Jihoon liked to support people, to see their faces slowly untighten with relief, and the sparkle slowly crawl back into their eyes as the pain ebbs away each time they come back to visit his little herbalist shop in the village. Their thanks always fluster him. He's always been more of an observer, one to stand back and watch before acting. As an orphan, and being quite the nature-roamer, Jihoon was used to being by himself more than anything. Just him and the plants. That's where he felt most at ease.

So when he's given an unexpected visit by a royal guard asking for his attendance at the palace to become the crown prince's new concubine, goosebumps of unease prickle up his arms. 

"Why me? You must be mistaken," Jihoon says unwelcomingly to the guard barging into his shop, with a face like stone, his stance ready, as if preparing to grab Jihoon should he try to run past him out the door. “I’m just a villager. I make herbal medicine. There’s nothing special about me.” he says in distaste. 

The guard looks down at him and he can feel the cold eyes run up his face, passing his eyes and landing on the firey red strands sitting atop his head.

"His Highness has taken much interest in-" the guard raised his gloved hand to flip some of Jihoon's hair away from his face, causing him to stumble backwards a step to avoid being touched. 

"-rare collectibles, you could say." He takes a step forwards and Jihoon steps back, back, back, until his hip hits the edge of his counter and the guard looms over him. 

"Regardless, the Prince has been captured by your unique appearance. Which means you are required to appear at the castle tomorrow morning," his eyes glint dangerously and Jihoon's shocked face twists into a defiant glare. "There will be no exceptions."

The guard turns and walks out of the shop, and all tension bleeds out of Jihoon as he sags against the counter. 

_Fuck._ He rubs his hand down his face. _Fuck fuck fuck._

He can't become a prince's _concubine_. He has appointments early the next morning, so many salves to make, so many shipments to finish-

His eyes flutter to the hair that had fallen in front of his eyes. It's gotten long. The front goes past his cheekbones, and he's been tying it low for the past few months to keep it off his neck. It's still as red as ever. 

His hair. The one part of him that betrayed his want for solitude and anonymity. Bright and unnatural, catching every eye in every room and on every street. There had been many who had told him it was beautiful. Unique. That he looked like his mother. 

But as long as he’d lived, he’d seen it as a nuisance. 

Jihoon calmly stands up and walks over to his herb shelves. He goes through the list of patients expecting their medicines within the next couple of days, and gets to work. One after the other, he stacks them on the counter, writing the names of each villager in neat cursive on the envelopes they come in. Once each envelope is set neat and ready, he takes out one last one and sets it on the counter. He grabs a pair of scissors from his supply drawer and stares at his reflection in the shears.

_If he wants my hair so badly,_ he grabs his small pony tail and holds it between the scissors.

_then he can have it._

And he runs.

* * *

The world outside of his small village is broad. So many kingdoms, so many forests, so many towns he’s never been to or seen. 

“Thank you for taking me this far, sir.” Jihoon smiles and bows in gratitude, the older man driving the carriage waves and then continues on his way to a neighboring kingdom.

Jihoon turns around and sees the tall stone gates of Amaryllis in the distance. He had passed them long ago, there’s no turning back now. Over the hills in the opposite distance is a town on a harbor, and he can see the boats as they dock and the people as they mully around the food stands. 

“Hello, Lobelia,” Jihoon greets the kingdom. He smiles, trying to lift his own spirits. “Also known as a flower that helps asthma and bronchitis.” he recites. 

His walk from the fork to the start of the town was pleasant. The breeze from the harbor was cool for a June afternoon, and the bursts of forests around the path was like a balm to Jihoon’s aching lungs. His nerves were still there, but bearable, now knowing that he escaped the life he could’ve been trapped in. But his steps feel melancholy. He’ll never see his family home again.

Jihoon took a deep breath, adjusted the tan hood over his head, and trudged on to the outskirts of the city.

Lobelia, although not that far down the coast, had a different air to it then Amaryllis. The people were laughing and bustling. There were kids running and dancing through the streets, a few of them almost bumping into Jihoon as he passed. The apartments and living quarters above the shops had open windows and clothing lines strung across them. The cheery atmosphere made Jihoon think that maybe leaving Amaryllis wasn’t too bad. It helped the homesickness in him fade, if slightly. 

The further he got into town the more there was to see. He decided to continue towards the water, feeling almost overwhelmed with all the colors and noises near the shopping stands. He reached a stand that sold some simple pastries and fruit, and found himself grabbing one of the stitched sacks and filling it with a few apples and pears. He walked up to the small older woman behind the counter and asked for a scone and a loaf of banana bread. 

He hands over three silver coins to pay when the woman takes a closer look at his money. “Amaryllish coins!” she said, impressed. “My, you’ve come quite the ways, haven’t you dear?”

Jihoon sheepishly smiled. “Yes, ma’m,” he said. “Arrived just this morning. Will those coins work?” He asked, and sighed in relief when the woman nodded. He quietly fidgeted in place while she wrapped his pastries, pulling his hood further down over his forehead. 

The old woman hummed. “Do you have a place to stay the night?” she asked sweetly. “My close friend runs a tavern just up the road, she had quite nice rooms for decent prices,” She handed the pastries over to Jihoon with a smile.

“Actually that’s exactly what I needed to find,” Jihoon accepted the food with a bow. “Thank you very much, ma’am.”

The woman chuckled good-heartedly. “What a sweet boy. You be safe now!”

Jihoon smiled and waved as he walked back onto the street. He got maybe a few stores down when someone ran rather hurriedly right into him, knocking him backwards and causing him to drop his bag, fruit rolling away. Jihoon throws an annoyed glare up at the person standing before him.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” The man crouches beside Jihoon and reaches to collect a pear. “My apologies, I wasn’t looking,”

He has light, light hair, almost white, and a slim face. His eyes have an energy to them that makes it seem like he’s thinking of a million things at once. His blue vest and white undershirt span across broad shoulders. 

Jihoon blinks. He’s quite handsome.

Jihoon realizes that the man is holding his bag out for Jihoon to take, his fruit nicely placed back inside. Jihoon slowly takes it from him.

“It’s okay. Thank you,” he mumbles, brushing the dirt off his knees as he quickly stands. The man, still crouched to the ground, looks up a Jihoon with wide eyes. Jihoon tilts his head in confusion until he realizes that his hood had fallen back slightly, and he hurriedly reaches up to pull it back down to his forehead, covering his red hair.

“You-” the man starts but is startled by a nearby voice yelling. 

“Soonyoung!” Two men are walking quickly towards him, both tall with dark hair, one with slanted eyes looking annoyed, and the other with an amused grin trailing behind. 

The white haired man at his feet suddenly shoots up with a mischievous grin. “That’s my call!” he said in a rush, then running in the opposite direction of the men marching towards him. “I’m sorry for running into you!” he yelled back at Jihoon before he darts away.

Jihoon watches as he runs away, and hears one of the two taller men groan as they run after him. Jihoon stays rooted in his spot, staring after the men even when he can’t see them anymore. 

_Hm,_ Jihoon thinks, _What weird people_.

* * *

Jihoon stops in front of a store further in the middle of the town, with paned windows and a sign that reads _Town Herbalist._ He stares at the door before slowly pushing his way inside, and immediately staring in awe at the shop. The herb shelf was huge, and filled to the brim with herbs that were difficult for Jihoon to get back home, but probably more commonly found near the waters in Lobelia. A man and a woman stand behind the counter putting together orders for the few customers in the shop. 

As Jihoon quietly walks up to the counter, the older man notices him and bows, giving him a polite smile. “Good afternoon, is there something I can help you with?”

Jihoon bows back. “Yes, sir. I was wondering if you were hiring at this shop?” he asks. 

The man raises his eyebrows in surprise and turns fully towards Jihoon. “Would you happen to be an herbalist?” he asked. 

“Yes sir,” Jihoon nods.

“So young?” the man questions. 

“Yes,” Jihoon affirms. “My parents taught me young. I was the herbalist in my town before I left,” he explains. 

The man hums and crosses his arms, a contemplating look on his face. “We aren’t really hiring right now, I’m not sure we need another worker,” he says apologetically. “There aren’t many big towns near here either, we just happen to be quite big because of the harbor and the nearby castle,” he explains.

Jihoon sighs in resignation. “I understand. Do you happen to know of any professions in the town close to being an herbalist?” he questions. 

The man hums and holds his chin with his fingers. “I’m not too sure, you could always give gardening a try. If you’ve a steady hand, we have some crafters and painters I’m sure are looking for an apprentice.” His eyebrows go up as if remembering something. 

“If you’re daring enough, you could apply to become a court herbalist,” he says.

That caught Jihoon’s attention, his shoulders righting themselves a bit. “Court herbalist?” he questions. 

The man nods. “It’s not often they accept newbies. The test is hard, and people from all of the kingdom come to the capital to try their luck at it.” He crouches behind the counter and rummages around, finding a piece of paper and handing it to Jihoon. “The test is in about a month. If you really want to try, you should start studying now.”

Jihoon looks at the printed dates on the flyer and feels the familiar feeling of determination grow within his chest like wisteria vines. He looks at the man and bows his thanks, quietly exiting the Herbalist shop. 

As he makes his way back to the street by the harbor, he makes a mental list of all the plants he needs to study and experiment with. _Maybe if I go back he can give me some places to find the native plants_ , he thinks to himself. 

Once he finds himself back by the old ladies fruit stand, he remembers the street she had pointed to when explaining where the tavern was. He made his way up the street, entering the warmly lit tavern that held many tables and a second story.

He greeted the woman at the front and asked if she had any rooms open. 

“Yes we do,” she smiled. “How long do you plan to stay?” 

Jihoon humed. “I don’t know. A couple days? Today is my first day in the town,” he explained to her. She nodded in understanding and went to get a room key for him. 

“How about we say three days for now? If you’d like to stay longer, just come on down and let me know,” she offered kindly, handing the key to Jihoon.

He smiled at her tone, wondering if all the people in this town were this nice, taking the key from her hands and opening his bag to grab his money. He paused and looked up at her sheepishly. “Are Amaryllish coins okay?” he asked. The woman’s eyebrows raise in surprise, but she nods, and Jihoon sighs in relief. He hands her the coins and she directs him to the stairs on the outside of the building that lead to the rooms. He thanks her and continues up to his room. 

After spending the day walking, he immediately lays down on the twin bed with a groan, resigning himself to a nap. When he rises, the sun had already almost set, and his stomach was rumbling in complaint. Deciding that fruit was probably not fulfilling enough for a meal. He trekked back down the stairs to the tavern, deciding to take a quick trip across the street to the bookstore to find some books on herbology, hoping to get started on his studying as soon as possible. On his way back to the tavern the sun had set, and the tavern had filled quickly with people eating dinner and drinking, the noise levels rising. Jihoon sighs at the commotion, hoping to just pick up a meal and go back to his room. Before reaching the door of the tavern, however, three tall men block his entrance. 

Jihoon looks up at the one in front of him and his face immediately sours. He _reeks_ of alcohol, and is getting too close to Jihoon’s face for comfort. 

“‘W’ere you goin’ pretty?” he slurs, his disgusting breath hitting Jihoons face. 

“To get some dinner, thank you.” Jihoon replies curtly, moving step around them, but the man grabs his wrist. Jihoon scowls at him and grits his teeth. 

“Let me go,” he says. The man chuckles and tugs him forward forcefully, his grip on Jihoon’s hand getting tighter. 

The man ducks his head to get a better look at Jihoon’s face, and when Jihoon tucks in his chin to shy away, the man tugs Jihoon’s hood off his head, throwing it onto the ground when it snaps off. Jihoon’s hands fly to push himself away from the man and create some distance. The man whistles at his appearance. 

“What a rarity,” he drawls, “‘ur exotic, huh? Even prettier with that red hair ‘ah yours.” 

One of the other men laughs at his struggle. “‘Ey now, don’t ‘ya wanna have some nice fun?” he sneers, the other two chuckling and walking closer. His grip on Jihoon’s wrist starts to hurt, so he shoves at the man's chest and causes him to stumble back a bit. Jihoon tucks his wrist to his chest and steps back glaring. 

“I would rather eat my own foot,” he growls. The man's smirk turns down into an angry frown and he steps forward back into Jihoon’s space. “You lil-”

Jihoon feels a hand on his shoulder gently pull him backwards, and another tall man puts himself in between Jihoon and the drunkard. 

_Oh,_ Jihoon stares at his white hair. _It’s that guy._

“Excuse me, but I’m going to have to ask you to step away.” the new man says, putting his arm on the drunk’s shoulder and shoving him backwards to create space between him and Jihoon.

The drunk growls at being interrupted. “Who ‘da fuck are you?” he slurs.

The white haired man tenses, widening his stance as if to shield Jihoon from the angry man’s view. 

“Does it matter?” he questions, his voice low and unlike how it had been when Jihoon had met him earlier that day. “I suggest you find somewhere else to drink,” he says, a hand coming to rest on something attached to his hip, which Jihoon belatedly realizes is a sword in its sheath.

“Or the alcohol won’t be the only thing you knock out from.” he threatens. The three men look at the sword on his hip and pause, and Jihoon sees their gaze shift to behind himself. When Jihoon turns around, he spots the two men who were tagging along with white-hair earlier, both standing quite off to the side as to not get involved, but staring at the drunk men as if they were on a hunting trip. 

When Jihoon turns back around the drunk men huff and growl, eventually stalking away. Jihoon peaks around white-hair’s shoulder to watch them saunter down the street, eventually stepping back and turning to acknowledge the men who were still there. 

The man turns around and smiles at Jihoon in recognition. “Hello, we meet again,” he greets. 

Jihoon blinks at the childish glint in his eye. He nods in greeting and unconsciously rubs the bruise on his wrist. “Hello,” he says. The white haired man catches the movement, and the mirth in his eyes lessens a little. He looks around and walks over to pick something up off the ground, Jihoon realizing it was his hood. He hands it back and Jihoon takes it.

“Thank you,” he says, meaning both for the hood and for helping him

The man lights up at the quiet words. “You’re welcome,” he says. “I’m Soonyoung. Who do I owe the pleasure?” 

Jihoon pauses, realizing he doesn’t know this man either. He looks back and forth between Soonyoung’s eyes and finds nothing but warmth and curiosity. 

“Jihoon,” he replies.

Soonyoung’s smile gets impossibly wider. “How nice,” he says. “I noticed earlier,” he starts, a little pause breaking up his words. Jihoon sees the comment before it comes, expecting him to comment on his red hair, now that he’s seen it uncovered. 

“Your robes aren’t Lobelian. Not from around here?” he asks. Jihoon blinks. That was not what he thought he would say.

He looks down at the fabric of his hood and his vest, built from thicker fabrics used in Amaryllis for the more northern weather. 

As if sensing his hesitancy to reply, Soonyoung asks another question. “You usually don’t run into strangers more than once unless it’s for a reason. Maybe there’s a reason you and I met again, Jihoon.” He smiles and points his thumb to the tavern behind him, his two friends walking up to the door as if they’re waiting for them to come as well, both giving Jihoon warm smiles when he notices them. 

“Care to have dinner?” he asks. 

Jihoon looks at his hood, the mark on his wrist, and back up to the side of the building where the stairs to his room are. His stomach rumbles, reminding him what he had left his room for to begin with. He lets out a small sigh. _Why the hell not._

He looks back at Soonyoung and nods. “Okay.”

* * *

“So, formal introductions. I’m Soonyoung, the giant puppy behind me making faces at the baby at table two is Mingyu, and the one sitting across from him with the resting bitch face is Wonwoo,” Soonyoung tells Jihoon with a smile.

Jihoon sees the taller of the two men at the table behind Soonyoung, Mingyu, flinch at being caught and pout in Soonyoung’s direction. Wonwoo takes a sip of his tea with an amused smile. “Hey, how’d you know what I was doing? You aren’t even looking at me!”

“I just know,” Soonyoung says casually. He turns his full attention back on Jihoon. “So, where are you from? I’ve been down these streets thousands of times, and I’m pretty sure I’ve never seen a hooded figure with that bright of hair before.” he asks.

Jihoon hesitates, looking back and forth between Soonyoung’s eyes. Wonwoo and Mingyu continue to have a quiet conversation, clearly listening, but giving them privacy. 

“I’m from Amaryllis,” he starts, “I was an herbalist in my town. I arrived in Lobelia today.”

Soonyoung tilts his head in question. “It’s not often that people cross the border for good,” he pointed out. Jihoon shrugs and lifts his glass of water for a drink. Soonyoung stares at him in interest.

“Was it sudden?” he asks.

Jihoon sets his glass down a little too hard, breaking eye contact with Soonyoung and staring at his shoulder instead. 

“It was,” he says, his tone heavy with an emotion Soonyoung couldn’t quite place.

“Did you run away?” Soonyoung asked softly.

“Yes,” Jihoon answered, rubbing his bruised wrist. “I was wanted as a prize. A trophy. So I left.”

Soonyoung’s eyebrow quirked in surprise. “A prize?” he asked. “I’m assuming for your hair?”

Jihoon nodded. He moved his food around on his plate in thought. “He sent his dogs after me in my own home, and asked me to be his concubine,” he clenches his fist around his drink. “Just for my hair. So I ran, and here I am.”

Soonyoung sputtered and coughed, hitting his chest with his fist. Wonwoo and Mingyu turned to look at him in surprise, but he waved them off. Jihoon’s eyes widened in alarm, and he pushed Soonyoung’s water closer to him. 

“I’m- I’m _fine_ , gods, you-” Soonyoung heaves. “You were asked to be his _concubine_?” 

Jihoon gives him a concerned look at his reaction. “I- yes, unfortunately. Are you okay?”

Soonyoung nods and clears his throat a final time, a look of frustration apparent on his face. “You were asked to become a concubine, you refused. How much power did this guy have to make it so you had to leave the kingdom?” he asked incredulously.

Jihoon looked down, and a silence stretched over the table. When he spoke, it was soft and hesitant, as if he thought Soonyoung wouldn't believe him. 

“Choi Minho, the crown prince of Amaryllis.” he said.

Soonyoung once again reacted extremely, an exclamation leaving his mouth and his knee coming up to hit the underside of the table, the silverware clattering. He bent over to hold his leg in pain, groaning. Behind him, Mingyu sputtered into his drink and fixed his face into a grimace, Wonwoo looking behind at Jihoon and Soonyoung’s table, a similar expression of disbelief and disgust on his face. 

Soonyoung grabs his hair in frustration. “He- Minho- that sleazy _idiot_ ,” he growled out. He looks up at Jihoon with anger and empathy flowing in his eyes. “Jihoon I’m so sorry. That greedy bastard,” he seeths.

Jihoon’s eyebrows raise in surprise at his anger on his behalf. A small smile makes its way to his face. “He is quite the character,” he says. “But it’s okay. In a way, he got what he wanted. His guard said that he liked ‘rare collectables’,” Jihoon leaned his head in his hand, his smile turning into a smirk. “So I cut off my hair and left it behind instead.”

Soonyoung stared at Jihoon in awe, his mouth open and eyes wide, before bursting into laughter, glee filling his face. 

“Holy shit, that’s _amazing_!” he laughed. His eyes twinkled when meeting Jihoon’s, his smile making something in Jihoon’s chest lighter. “You’re amazing,” he said.

Jihoon’s face rises in a smile to match Soonyoung’s, smaller but still full of mirth. Soonyoung catches his breath and leans his arms on the table, giving Jihoon his full attention. “Okay, aside from that fiasco. What was your life like?”

And so Jihoon told him about his passion for medicine. He told him about his small shop and the forests. Though he might not have spoken loudly or with enthusiasm as Soonyoung did, there was an underlying fondness in his voice, his memories obviously meaning a lot to him. Soonyoung listened well, his face intrigued and engaged, occasionally popping in little comments and questions. He was nice. Jihoon was starting to think he had maybe found his first friend in this new kingdom. 

“You want to apply to be a court herbalist?” Soonyoung asked excitedly when Jihoon mentioned he had been thinking about it. “You totally should! That’d be so fun! You’d be great at it,”

Jihoon smiled at the encouragement. “Thank you, with that I just might.” he said. “I don’t know much about the plants native to this kingdom, but I’m eager to learn. I want to know everything, every herb and every way to make it. There’s not much other reason to try than that.”

There must have been something in the way he said it, for Soonyoung’s face softens ever so slightly. “I think that’s a wonderful reason.” he said.

Behind them, Wonwoo stands from his chair, cleaning the mess on his and Mingyu’s table. He turns to them and offers Jihoon an apologetic, but warm smile. “Soonyoung, we should get going.”

Soonyoung sighs dejectedly. “Yes, probably,” he says. He turns to Jihoon with a smile. “It was nice talking to you.”

Jihoon’s smile is genuine. “You too.”

They gather their things, and as they make it out the door of the tavern, Soonyoung turns to Jihoon with a friendly grin. “I come through this part of the town quite often, so I’ll come say hello!”

Jihoon chuckles as he walks a few steps in the direction of his rented room. “Alright, I guess I’ll wait until then,” he says. “And thank you again, for earlier.”

Soonyoung shakes his head “Don't mention it.” Mingyu and Wonwoo start walking ahead of him, and he lifts his arm to wave energetically. “Goodnight, Jihoon!”

Jihoon watches them walk down the street, and he wonders not for the first time that day, what tomorrow will bring.

* * *


	2. White Rose: wistfulness and secrecy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> why hello, welcome back!~
> 
> i'm so happy to bring you guys another chapter of this fic! in this chapter we pick up the steam a bit, with more words and a bit more going on. I'm really enjoying writing this fic, and i'm loving outlining the future chapters and am excited to expand more on jihoon and soonyoung as characters. but this week we learn a bit more about soonie and his life~
> 
> feedback is welcome! i'm still extremely new to fic writing and haven't written in a long time, so please be gentle with me :,)  
> seeing some people follow from my last fic and read this one as well just warms my heart. reading any comment makes me so happy and motivates me so much, and i'm so appreciative!
> 
> I hope you enjoy! have a lovely week <3
> 
> kisses xo

* * *

Books.

That had been Jihoon’s life for the past week. Books.

Every morning he had the same routine. Wake up, wash, walk to the old ladies fruit stand to buy a pastry, and then go to the library to sit and read. He never knew there could be as many books on herbology as there was, him being taught by his parents at a young age and learning by experience much different. But he loved to read, and reading about his passion quickly became his favorite pastime. 

“Oh, good morning, Jihoon. Nice to see you here again.” the book keeper greeted as he walked in the library.

Jihoon smiled at him and gave a small bow. “Good morning,” he said. “I hope you don’t mind that I stay for a while again today.”

The book keeper chuckled and waved him off. “You’re absolutely fine. It’s nice company.”

Jihoon nodded gratefully and walked further into the library. It had tall ceilings with equally tall bookshelves filling every space. High above the shelves was a loft running along the walls with small tables and chairs littering it’s floors. The windows near the loft filled the room with light almost any time of the day, making it look whimsical and warm. It had given Jihoon great comfort in his quest to study for the Court exam. 

He made his way over to a shelf he had been frequenting the past week and ran his fingers over the spines of the books. He read almost all the books in the middle two rows, slowly making his way through the collection the shop had. He had reached a bit of a block, there being not many books on one species of plant he needed to learn about. He plucked the one book available on the subject and started his way over to the latter that led up to the loft. He found a table, pulled the blanket he had brought with him out of his bag, and settled down to read in the quiet ambiance of the book shop.

It’s easy for Jihoon to get lost in the pages, for his body to grow lethargic with stillness and for the hours to pass without his knowledge. 

“I knew I’d find you here.”

Jihoon looks up from his page for the first time in a few hours, and shifts his gaze to look over the wooden rail of the loft and down at the floor below. He smiles instantly, his chest feeling lighter.

“Soonyoung,” he greets.

Soonyoung smiles as he looks up at Jihoon. “Studying again?” he asked.

Jihoon nodded. Soonyoung looked around and climbed up the ladder once he found it, entering the bubble of relaxed energy Jihoon had created for himself throughout the morning. He smiled fondly at the way Jihoon was curled up with a blanket in his chair as he sat across from him.

“Have you gotten much further? Feeling more prepared?” he asked.

Jihoon shrugged. “A bit. I love this library, there’s more here than I ever had at home. But there are some things still missing,” he lifted up the book he was reading to show Soonyoung. “This is the only book on these specific types of herbs.”

Soonyoung hummed. “Have you thought of going to other libraries?” he asked.

Jihoon tilted his head in confusion. “But this is the only one in town,” he said.

Soonyoung smiled at the cute gesture. “Yes, but you could always travel to the surrounding towns to look. The ones along the border and further north have the most foreign studies, because they are geographically closer to the neighboring countries,” he said. “I’m sure if you looked there you would find what you’re missing.”

Jihoon’s eyebrows raise at the suggestion. “That’s smart. I wonder if the book keeper knows which ones I can find,” he smiled at Soonyoung with question in his eyes. “How do you know so much about the other towns? Do you travel a lot?” he asked.

Soonyoung fixed his white hair sheepishly. “You could say that,” he chuckled. “I’ve traveled all around the kingdom with my family.” 

Jihoon hummed. He closed his book and stood with his arms raised over his head in a stretch. He bent over to pick up the folded blanket and placed it back in his bag, swinging it around onto his back. “Well, I might as well ask where to go then. No point in reading this book all over again.” he said. 

Soonyoung nodded and went down the ladder first, offering his hand to Jihoon once he was on the floor. Jihoon accepted it with a smile and jumped the last few steps down, landing next to him. They walked up to the book keeper who was cleaning the front desk, and as they approached he stood with a smile. 

“What can I do for you?” he asked.

“I was wondering if there were any towns you would recommend visiting to find more information on this species of poison plants,” Jihoon slid the book he had been reading forward. “I don’t see many other books of this type in your collection and wanted to learn more.”

The keeper nodded in understanding. “Ah, yes. I’ve been to visit some of the towns up north, and I would recommend you start there,” he explained. “The town of Crocus should have what you are looking for, their library is used as a hub for international study.”

Soonyoung hummed in delight behind Jihoon. “I actually have to travel to the border town next to Crocus soon for work,” Jihoon turned to him and he gave a friendly smile. “You can come with Mingyu, Wonwoo and I. We’re passing through on our way,” he offered.

Jihoon smiled and nodded. “That would be amazing, thank you.” He gave the book keeper a smile and thanks, and the keeper waved back.

“Be safe, Jihoon,” he said. He bowed his head at Soonyoung standing behind Jihoon. “Good day, Your High-'' behind Jihoon’s line of sight, Soonyoung shook his head side to side and made an X with his fingers. The keeper paused before he continued. “-Soonyoung.” he corrected himself amusedly. Jihoon turned to give Soonyoung a questioning look, but the taller man was gently steering him away and out of the shop

“Do you know the keeper?” Jihoon asked. 

“A bit,” Soonyoung said. “I know a lot of people in this town.” 

Jihoon stared at him with curiosity, but decided not to further the topic. “I meant to ask, did you come to see me for a specific reason?”

Soonyoung’s cheeks grew a bit redder under the light, but it was so faint that Jihoon could’ve been imagining it. “No,” he answered, “I just wanted to spend time with you.”

Jihoon smiled at his honesty. “That’s sweet,” he replied. “Well, I’m going to the markets to buy some clothing. You can come with, if you’d like.”

Soonyoung’s face lights up at being invited along, and Jihoon chuckles at his eagerness. When they reach the market street by the harbor, Jihoon leads them to a small clothing shop he had seen that morning. Jihoon’s clothes, as Soonyoung had pointed out when they met, were slightly thicker for the northern kingdoms, and were made with colors and designs specific to Amaryllis. He needed Lobelian looking clothing, and frankly, the thicker fabric of his clothes made him sweat more than what he was comfortable with. 

He finds the trousers instantly, picking a few pairs of a simple cream color. The flowy undershirt was easy as well, the only colors offered being in white and a light tan. When it came to his vest, however, he faltered a bit. He was never one for brighter colors, but he wanted to look as inconspicuous as possible. 

“Having trouble?” Soonyoung asked as he walked up to Jihoon, coming back from his own search around the stand.

Jihoon hummed. “I don’t want to stand out too much,” he mumbled. “But I don’t want to look dreary, either.”

Soonyoung scanned his eyes over the colors. “So, you don’t want something too bright. You're so pale it might wash you out, too. But it should compliment your hair, since it is so pretty,” he said in a distracted sort of mumble.

Jihoon’s face heated up at the compliment. Soonyoung reached for a pale green and a warm brown. Both had gold stitching through the seams. He reached for another, a dark magenta color, and presented them to Jihoon.

“How about these?” he asked. Jihoon took them and flipped them around before nodding in approval. 

“I like them,” he said. Soonyoung smiled in delight before they turned to go pay. The man asked if Jihoon wanted to change into his new clothes in the room the store had, and Soonyoung told him to go ahead, and that he would wait. 

After changing into the cream trousers, the white under shirt, and the green vest, he walked out to Soonyoung and raised his arms in question. 

“How do I look?’ he asked, going as far to do a small spin just to see Soonyoung laugh.

“Great as always! I do like the green.” he said with a smile. 

As they walked out of the shop, Jihoon gazed out at the water of the harbor, the afternoon sun casting it in a warm glow, making it shiny and inviting.

When Jihoon had left Amaryllis, he didn’t know what the future would hold. He saw a chance and took the leap, not having the time to think through what he would find on the other side. But he’s slowly coming to find that he might’ve struck gold in terms of finding a cheerful town, a place to stay, and kind people to meet. After spending his life in the same shop, he felt grateful that he could finally see something new.

“You know,” Jihoon started, still staring at the sea. “Each new thing I learn about this place makes me want to know more.” 

Soonyoung turns to him with an open expression, urging him to continue. “This town is so much more vast than my village. So many more people, so many more shops, so much more to see.” Jihoon hops up onto the short stone fence lining the street next to the harbor, and stares out at the open sea, embracing the breeze as it rolled through his hair. 

“I think I’ve found a purpose, though a small one,” he said. He turned back to Soonyoung with an excited gleam in his eyes. “I want to see it all. I want to see this kingdom for what it is, with my own eyes.”

Soonyoung stared back at him with fascination and something else, something Jihoon couldn't quite decipher. It filled his eyes, and Jihoon couldn’t seem to look away. Eventually Soonyoung smiled, just as warm as always. 

“Well, with that attitude, I have no doubt you’ll make it happen.” he said. He and Jihoon continued walking along the street, Soonyoung standing next to the stone shelf to make sure Jihoon didn’t fall. 

“I’ll be honest, you inspire me, Jihoon.” Soonyoung says, and Jihoon turns to look at him with an eyebrow raised in surprise. “You’re so hardworking. I see you studying every day, moving a step further ahead towards your goals, and it makes me want to work harder myself.” His shoulders lower and a pout comes to his face. “Although, paperwork has never been my strong suit. Wonwoo can attest to that.” he sulked.

Jihoon laughed. “I still don’t know exactly what you three do, but give him a break. He seems to care a lot for you.”

Soonyoung smiled and nodded. “I know. Him and Mingyu are my best friends. I couldn’t ask for better people to surround myself with every day,” He turned to Jihoon with a teasing grin. “Other than you, of course.”

Jihoon scoffed. “I’ll thank you for the compliment.” And Soonyoung laughed. 

“I also wanted to ask you earlier,” Jihoon started. “When are you going to the north for business? I want to know how long I have to prepare,”

“We leave in two days,” Soonyoung replied. “It was a bit short notice, but the traveling itself should only take us half a day by horseback.”

Jihoon nodded. “Okay, two days then. I can probably get my last two books done before then.”

Soonyoung chuckled. “You definitely can. You’ve gone through half a shelf in only one week!”

“Fast learner,” Jihoon answered.

“Well, it seems you’ll have plenty of time.” Soonyoung said. They had reached the end of the stone ledge, and he raised his hand to meet Jihoon’s to help him hop down. “I have to get back to work, but I will be back to pick you up in two days. We’ll be staying overnight, so pack enough for two days.”

Jihoon nodded and eased his hand out of Soonyoung’s to walk the opposite street. “Alright, until then.”

Soonyoung nodded longingly. “Until then,” he echoed. 

“And good luck on your paperwork!” Jihoon shouted when he was several feet away. “Don’t slack off or Wonwoo will be angry!”

The groan he heard in response when he turned around made him laugh.

* * *

Soonyoung, Mingyu and Wonwoo arrived to pick him up very early, the light of the sky barely visible. Soonyoung hopped off his horse to greet him, his gaze getting fonder the more he took early morning Jihoon in. His red hair is still slightly messy, like he tried to tame it but was too tired to finish. His eyes were droopy and his face was puffy from sleep. 

“Why, good morning.” he said softly. 

“Morning,” Jihoon mumbled back quietly. 

Soonyoung chuckled and reached to run his fingers through Jihoon’s hair. “Not a morning person?” he asked.

Jihoon slowly shook his head, closing his eyes at the sensation of Soonyoung’s hand fixing his hair. 

“You can sleep on the way there. Is it okay if you ride with Mingyu? There’s more space,” Soonyoung asked, moving his hand as if he was going to cup Jihoon’s cheek, but settling for playing with his hair soothingly.

Jihoon stood still for a few moments more,, savoring the feeling of Soonyoung basically petting him. He stood up more and opened his eyes, focusing more on the world around him. He nodded with a small smile and Soonyoung grabbed Jihoon’s bag and led him over to Mingyu’s horse. Mingyu waved with a friendly smile and he and Soonyoung helped Jihoon up and over the horse so he was sitting in the front with Mingyu holding the reins from behind, a more comfortable way to ride slowly over long journeys.

“You good?” Soonyoung asked. Jihoon looked down at him and nodded, and Soonyoung turned to walk back to his horse, satisfied that Jihoon was comfortable.

“Should we take the north east road out of town?” Wonwoo asked. He gave Jihoon a smile when they made eye contact, and Jihoon realized how grateful he was that Soonyoung’s friends were so kind and welcoming towards him. 

Soonyoung nodded in agreement. “Yes, it should be the fastest,” he said. He looked Jihoon in the eyes and raised his brow in a silent question of _Ready to go?_ Jihoon nodded, and Soonyoung set off with a smile. 

The way out of town wasn’t as long as Jihoon thought it would be, and as they reach far enough away that the town is slowly getting smaller and smaller, he looks back at it longingly. 

“Everything okay?” Mingyu asked him. 

Jihoon smiled at his concern. “Yes. I just have to remind myself that I’m coming back this time.”

Mingyu nods understandingly. “Well, at least you’re not alone now.” he points out. And as Jihoon turns to look forward at Soonyoung, a few paces ahead of them, he remembers how true that statement is. 

On their travels, Jihoon was able to get to know Mingyu and Wonwoo more. He quickly learned that they were close and had been for a long time, if the stories they told about each other were any indication. Mingyu was always upbeat, his voice having a kind of child-like enthusiasm to it that Jihoon envied. He seemed to get excited about things easily, and was always prepared to fill any silence that might make people uncomfortable. Wonwoo was like the blue to Mingyu’s yellow, almost completely opposite but complementary in every way. He was soft and quiet, with an air of maturity and wisdom that Jihoon respected. He still had a sense of humor, however, inserting his own little teasing comments into Mingyu’s stories, and telling Jihoon some of the dumb things Mingyu and Soonyoung had gotten into in the past. They both held a fondness for each other, and worked together seamlessly, which made Jihoon think he wouldn’t be surprised if something else was there. 

Once reaching the more northern part of Lobelia, Jihoon started to feel the slight chill in the breeze, and he welcomed it, reminding him of Autumn coming right around the corner. After the morning of traveling he saw a town on the horizon, smaller than the capital, but still big in size. Soonyoung turned around from ahead to alert them of their approach. 

“Crocus is up ahead, we’ll drop you off.” he said to Jihoon.

They reached a fork in the road that led into the town and came to a stop. Soonyoung got off his horse to help Jihoon down, and handed him his bag. 

“We’ll be finished soon, we can meet you back here by sundown and find a place in town to stay the night. Do you have everything?” he asked.

Jihoon swung his bag over his shoulder and smiled. “I think so. I’ll make sure to be here when you guys get back.” he answered.

Soonyoung nodded and smiled back at him. “Okay. Please be safe. Learn a lot! I’m sure you’ll find all sorts of books to bring back with us.” 

Jihoon watched as Soonyoung mounted his horse again and they started away. He waved his hand in the air. “Good luck with your work!” he shouted after them. The three men smiled and waved back before picking up the pace in the direction of the town over. 

The walk from the path to the town was a simple and short one, the chilly breeze bringing comfort to Jihoon and reminding him of his hometown. Once reaching the edges of Crocus, he immediately noticed a difference in the atmosphere compared to the Capital. The people were more quiet, choosing to speak softly rather than boisterously. There were less children, the majority seeming to be middle aged adults and above, however the amount of people was still high. Jihoon assumed that because the town was tucked close to the mountains, people came to live there in peace and quiet. 

After promptly deciding that he had no idea where he was going, Jihoon walked up to an older woman tending to her flower stand on the side of the road. 

“Excuse me ma’am, but would there happen to be a larger library around here?” he asked, bowing politely when she turned to look at him.

“Ah, a visitor,” she said in soft surprise. Her eyes drifted above Jihoon’s gaze, and he blatantly realized that he had forgotten his hood in his sleepy haze this morning, and he was standing out like a sore thumb. 

“I’m assuming you mean the Market Library, the one where travelers frequent,” she said. She pointed her finger towards the inner part of the town. “If you follow this path for a while you should come across it. There’s a circle at the center of town that all the big shops are at.”

Jihoon nodded and bowed his head. “Thank you very much.” he said.

While walking down the path, he was uncomfortably aware of the amount of stares he was getting from the townsfolk. Not only was his hair unnaturally bright, but he was also a stranger, and his air of mystery called people in. It made Jihoon’s skin prickle in a bad way, like it always had, and he suddenly wished for the company he had not an hour prior.

When reaching the library, Jihoon realized that the book keeper in the Capital had left out the detail of how big it really was. Spanning multiple floors with windows tall and wide, it looked more like a cathedral than a library. People dressed in smart clothing walked in and out of the doors, often with large stacks of books or scrolls in their arms. After standing and staring in awe for a few moments, Jihoon finally took the steps forward to take him inside, which felt even bigger than the outside. It looked like something from his dreams, and Jihoon wanted nothing more than to curl up with a blanket and his own stack of books and never leave. He ran his eyes along the signs that hung from the taller shelves, arrows written to show him where certain genre sections were. Following the sections for science, then medicine, and then herbology, and found himself facing medicinal herb heaven. 

After sifting his eyes through the shelves and shelves of material, he finally found a section of books on the poison plants he was looking for. He grabbed up to four books, and immediately found himself a table to sit down and get to work.

What felt like twenty minutes actually became two hours, and Jihoon had already finished the first book of his pile, while simultaneously writing notes in a journal he had brought with him. This is what calmed him, this is what he felt he was good at. His one calling in life, the thing that kept him going and got him through hard times. Whenever Jihoon felt alone or like the world wasn’t spinning correctly, he knew that his passion would always be waiting for him. There’s a certain type of catharsis that comes from getting lost in the work you love doing.

The books he had started reading already had more information than the books in the Capital. Jihoon stood up and brought the two books he had finished to the desk at the front of the shop. A middle aged woman stood behind it, looking at Jihoon expectantly as he walked up.

“Hello! What can I do for you?” she asked enthusiastically.

Jihoon placed the books on the counter. “I was wondering if these books are available to buy, I came here to find more resources on this specific type of plant,” he said.

The woman nodded at his book choice. “Yes, those are for sale. We have multiple copies of all the published items in sciences. Would you like to check out now?” she asked.

“Yes please,” Jihoon answered. “Will Amaryllish coins be okay?” he asked.

The woman nodded and pulled out her records to write down which books had been bought and how many copies were left. While she was preoccupied, Jihoon felt the familiar tingle of discomfort that fell upon him when he was being watched. Except, instead of the small thrum of unease he felt in the street, this was a stronger sensation. Someone was staring directly at him, intensely. 

Jihoon moved his eyes around the room and made contact with a man among company. He was tall and lanky, and stared at Jihoon in obvious recognition, but what made Jihoon double take was his clothing. The yellow fabric that was thick for the cold weather, the black threading and design. Taking another look, Jihoon realized that the men surrounding him were soldiers. And their crest was extremely, inexplicably familiar. The three six-petaled flowers tucked in a centerpiece. Jihoon froze.

It was the Amaryllish crest. 

“You!” the man exclaimed, causing Jihoon’s eyes to snap up to his, the group of soldiers' attention drawn to him. The man seemed to be a royal attendant, and as he started walking him, Jihoon took steps back into the counter, the woman behind him making a confused noise. 

_Shit, shit, shit. Why here?_ Jihoon thought in desperation.

“Why hello, little red,” the attendant growled in anger. “His Highness has been looking everywhere for you.”

Jihoon started looking frantically around for an escape, but the guards had already surrounded him. He glared defiantly at the attendant, and in return he got a sick smirk. “But it looks like our search is over. Who would’ve thought riding hood would’ve run to Lobelia,” He waved his arm in Jihoon’s direction. “Seize him.” he ordered.

In seconds Jihoon was being grabbed and restrained, his arms caught in strong hands. He struggled and yelled, putting up a fight, but five against one was a fight he knew he couldn’t win. 

“Dammit!” he exclaimed. He saw the attendant click his mouth in annoyance, and then last thing he hears is the woman behind the counter yelling in protest before a sharp pain enters his head and the world fades to black.

* * *

“It’s almost dark.” Wonwoo points out after a stretch of silence.

Soonyoung paces the cold grass near the fork, biting his thumb in worry. The sun had started to set around an hour earlier, and the sky had faded into navy, getting darker by the minute. Wonwoo and Mingyu stood next to each other, exchanging worried glances and checking the pathway for Jihoon periodically.

“He’s not usually late,” Soonyoung says. “I mean, sure, he can sometimes get caught up in his books, but never at night. He always makes it to dinner on time.”

“We should go and look in the town,” Mingyu suggested. “Maybe he really did just lose track of time. And if he’s walking the path now, we should meet him halfway before it gets too dark to see.”

Soonyoung nodded and they mounted their horses before taking off towards the town at a more hurried speed than that morning. Soonyoung’s thoughts calmed slightly at the action. They would get there and he’d find Jihoon slouched over on a coffee table, multiple books into his surely ridiculous pile. Everything would be fine, he’s sure.

They get close to the buildings of the town and come to a stop. They tie their horses to the mount and continue on into the streets, the lamps illuminated the way and noises spilling from bars and restaurants. 

“Soonyoung, I’m sure he’s fine,” Wonwoo reassured him, watching his hurried pace. “You know how he is, he can handle himself.”

Soonyoung slowed his fast walking and exhaled a long breath. “I know he can,” he said softly. “But I can’t help it.”

Mingyu placed a hand on his shoulder in comfort. “I’ll go ask where the book market is.” he said. He ran over to a couple walking down the road, and Soonyoung could see his hands moving about as he talked. The couple pointed down the street towards the inner plaza, and Mingyu bowed his head in thanks. 

“The market is down this street towards the middle of town,” he exclaimed while jogging back over. “They said it’s a tall building with big windows, we can’t miss it.”

Soonyoung and Wonwoo nodded, and they picked up their pace to walk down the street. Once reaching the plaza, Soonyoung spotted the Market Library easily, and understood what the couple meant by tall. He headed towards the front entrance, however just as the three of them entered the shop, the workers by the counter alerted them frustratingly.

“No, no, no. No more soldiers in this library, please!” a woman exclaimed. “I’ve had enough of your messes today.”

“More soldiers?” Mingyu questioned. “There were some here earlier?”

The woman nodded angrily. “A couple of Amaryllish soldiers and their attendant. Made a complete scene with another customer.” Soonyoung froze. Amaryllish soldiers?

_I’m from Amaryllis. I was an herbalist in my town. I arrived in Lobelia today._

Soonyoung’s hand started to shake as he stared at the woman, and Mingyu and Wonwoo shared a glance behind him.

_I was wanted as a prize. A trophy. So I left._

“You said Amaryllish soldiers?” Soonyoung questioned urgently as he quickly stormed up to the counter. “Who else was here? Where did they go?”

The woman’s eyes widened at his rapid approach. She nodded quickly, surprised by his appearance. “Yes, they were here a couple hours ago. They assaulted a poor boy and took him with them, saying he belonged in their kingdom.” she explained. “It happened so fast that by the time I called someone else in, they had already left town.”

Soonyoung’s chest rapidly constricted with dread. The more the woman explained, the more the bad feeling he’d had in his stomach all afternoon felt justified. 

“His hair, was it red?” Soonyoung implored.

The woman nodded again. “Y-yes, he was checking out these books.” She placed her hand on the two books located next to her on the counter. Soonyoung stared at the covers a bit numbly, the titles of the poison plants Jihoon had been looking for staring right back at him. His head dropped in frustration. Wonwoo walked up behind him to continue his questions. 

“Do you know which way they went out of town?” he asked. The woman responded with north east, but Soonyoung could hardly hear them, his head feeling like it was underwater.

He stepped back from the counter and ran out the book market, hearing Mingyu and Wonwoo’s shouts echoing after him. His only thought was getting back to the horses. Getting to Jihoon.

His feet took him wear he needed to go, and he heard the echoing footsteps of Wonwoo and Mingyu behind him. He turned to them with a fire in his eyes, panting slightly from the run. 

“Are there any royal housing units along the border of Amaryllis and Lobelia?” he asked.

Wonwoo nodded, catching onto his train of thought. “One of the Choi mansions is located near a border post, it’s one they visit frequently to monitor guard training.”

“And how far away is it?” Soonyoung asked, ripping the horse's reins off of the post. 

“About two hours.” Wonwoo said.

Soonyoung threw himself up and over his horse, Mingyu and Wonwoo following suit. 

“We’ll be there in one.” Soonyoung declared, before setting off like lightning out of the town.

_Please wait for me._

* * *

The first thing Jihoon felt was the pounding in his head. 

The second thing he recognizes is that he’s on his side, laying on a soft surface. His hands are bound behind his back, and he can tell that he is not the only person in the room. He opens his eyes, blinking a few times against the light of the lamp. He immediately notices the guards standing at the door of the room, and a man sitting in a chair in the middle, watching him.

Jihoon sits up, on guard, and the man’s eyebrows raise in delight. “Ah, finally, the red-haired beauty wakes!” he said. “Although, it was nice watching you sleep. Such a pretty face to look at.”

Jihoon’s face scrunched up in discomfort at the statement, staring at the man in wary disgust. “Where am I?” he asked.

“One of my houses on the Amaryllis border,” he hummed, his chin resting in his palm while he stared at Jihoon in interest, increasing his discomfort. “You’ve been out all afternoon since you got here. Have a nice nap?”

Jihoon’s eyebrows rose in surprise and his head snapped to the windows, staring at the pitch black sky outside. The fact that he had been gone for so long didn’t sit well with him.

“I’ve been looking for you, you know,” the man said. “Stories of you have spread throughout the kingdom. Stories of your immaculate appearance,” Jihoon turned to glare at him as he stared and sat in his chair. At first, he wasn’t sure who this man was and what his purpose for being there was, but now he realizes. 

“Well I’m sorry I disappointed you the first time, Your Highness,” he said. “But I assume you’ve got your fill of looking at my hair now.”

Choi Minho laughed at his bite, leaning back in his chair. “Never,” he said. “Something that precious should be kept. Protected. Displayed.” His eyes glinted with a deepness that unsettled Jihoon greatly. “You must be aware by now how much of an anomaly you are. There are people out there who would kill to have someone as pretty as you. That hair of yours could go for a hefty price,” his smile dropped. “You should be thanking me for keeping you out of trouble.”

Jihoon scoffed. “Right, because threatening me in my home, knocking me out and kidnapping me is protection,” his glare intensified. “You make me sick.”

Minho’s smile slid back onto his face. “Oh but you see Jihoon, what I want, I get. After you failed to accept our gracious invitation, it was only a matter of time we found you again. My attendant just so happened to be in the right place at the right time. And now here you are,” he gestured to his extravagant mansion. “Right where you were supposed to be at the beginning. It seems it was fate that we were to meet again.”

_Maybe there’s a reason you and I met again, Jihoon._

Jihoon’s chest ached at the memory. Was this really what was meant to happen? Was his escape to Lobelia just a detour? The nice old lady who owned the fruit stand, the tavern owner, the book keeper, the cozy library, the warm dinners, Wonwoo and Mingyu, Soonyoung? Was he not meant to see them again?

He couldn’t accept that. He refused to believe he wouldn’t see them again, that the life he had chosen wasn’t actually meant for him. He still had a few weeks left before the court herbalist exam, he couldn’t miss that. He needed to study more, to go back and get the books he had wanted to buy.

He wanted to spend more time with Soonyoung.

“I can assure you that my fate does not end with you,” Jihoon said. “That is for me to decide.”

Minho made a clicking noise with his mouth and stood from his chair, slowly making his way to Jihoon with languid steps. “But here you are. With me, in my kingdom, in my mansion. And there’s nowhere to go,” he stopped in front of Jihoon, grabbing his chin and forcing him to look up. “It’s just you and me, red delicious,” he said lowly. A smirk rose to his face as he cupped Jihoons cheek, more firm than gentle, causing goosebumps to erupt on Jihoon’s skin. “And we’re going to have _so_ much fun.”

Before Jihoon could jerk back or retaliate, a loud bang resonated throughout the room, the doors swinging open and hitting the walls, knocking the soldiers standing in front out of the way. Time seemed to stand still as three men walked into the room, the two with dark hair swiftly and effortlessly taking on the two guards near the door and knocking them out with the butt of their swords. The air left Jihoon’s lungs as he made eye contact with those warm eyes, white hair falling over the man’s forehead, familiar and heart wrenching. 

“Soonyoung,” he said breathlessly, eyes never leaving the man’s form.

Soonyoung’s eyes scanned Jihoon’s for any sign of panic or hurt, and when finding what he was looking for, immediately snapped to the hand that was still resting on Jihoon’s face, staring at it with barely concealed fury. 

“Hey- what happened to the guards stationed outside?” Minho yelled. “And who are you? How did you find this house?” 

Soonyoung’s eyes flitted up to meet Minho’s in a heated stare down, making the Amaryllish prince flinch. “I suggest you let go of him this instant,” Soonyoung growled. “Unless you want to end up like them.”

Minho’s surprised expression faded into anger, his hand coming down from Jihoon’s face as he stepped forward at Soonyoung's challenge. “Excuse me?” he asked in impatience. “You are messing with the wrong person, boy.” 

Soonyoung steps forward to meet him, the tension in the air rising. “I know exactly who I’m messing with. You took Jihoon. Which means you are number one on my list.”

His words snap Jihoon out of the trance he had been in. He looks in between Soonyoung and Minho in concern. “Wait, Soonyoung, this is-”

“I know, Jihoonie,” Soonyoung says, Jihoon stops talking at the nickname, his chest feeling like a balloon with Soonyoung’s sudden presence. 

“Oh, do you really?” Minho scoffs. “I don’t think you know who you’re talking to.”

Soonyoung’s shoulders tense in anger, and his stance becomes even more threatening than before. “I could say the same to you. I don’t appreciate your tone, Crown Prince of Amaryllis, Choi Minho.”

Minho’s anger becomes lessened due to his rising confusion. Jihoon also stares at Soonyoung, not understanding where the other is going with his statement.

However, at his words, Mingyu and Wonwoo come to stand directly behind him, forming almost a regal stance around him. Their presence is powerful, and Minho seems to feel it as well, as his stance becomes more wary. 

“You are speaking to the Second Prince of Lobelia, _Choi,”_ Soonyoung draws his sword from its sheath, holding it in such a way that the engraved side is visible to Minho and Jihoon. The royal family crest, the three-starred purple flower wrapped in a wreath, is on the side in glinting light.

“Kwon Soonyoung.” he stated. 

Jihoon’s eyes widened with shock. He went completely still, staring at Soonyoung will complete surprise. _Prince?_

Minho stared at the crest in shock as well, his mouth hanging open. He regained himself quickly, looking at Soonyoung in a new light. 

“Prince Soonyoung, I see,” he said in a more respectable tone, anger still recognizable. ‘What can I do for you?”

Soonyoung’s face, hardened at the question, his sword finding its way back into its sheath. “You have kidnapped my friend, mistreated him,” he said lowly. “Give him back to me, and we’ll be on our way.”

Minho’s eyebrow twitched at the declaration, and he righted his shoulders. “Unfortunately, your _friend_ is an Amaryllish citizen, which means I may do with him as I like-”

“ _Wrong,”_ Soonyoung spits. “The second he stepped foot within Lobelian borders, he no longer belonged to the kingdom of Amaryllis. Refugees and travelers are _free_ in Lobelia, Choi Minho. You know these rules as well as I,” his glare almost increased in intensity, setting a disturbing chill down Minho’s spine. “Now, I won’t repeat myself again. Let him go.”

Minho pauses in barely contained seething. He bristles upon Soonyoung’s attention, and after a moment of intense staring, grits out an answer. “Fine.”

He reaches down and pulls on Jihoon’s arm, forcing him to rise to his feet. He shoves Jihoon in Soonyoung’s direction, and Soonyoung steps forward to catch Jihoon by the shoulders. They make eye contact, and the anger on Soonyoung’s face melts for a second to show his normal bright smile. 

“Hey, Jihoon. How’re you feeling?” he asked casually. 

Jihoon continues to stare at him in awe, the sudden change in Soonyoung’s demeanor taking him aback. “I’m fine.” he says after a brief second.

Soonyoung nods in contentment and looks back at Minho, his intimidating mask placed back on. “Let’s hope we don’t meet again any time soon, Prince Minho.” he states, before leading Jihoon through the grand double doors, Mingyu and Wonwoo taking the rear as they walk through the house. The walk is silent, not doing anything for Jihoon’s nerves about the entire situation, but the group's familiar presence calms him just a bit. 

When they reach outside the house, Jihoon finally allows himself a chance to breathe. Soonyoung turns him around and cuts the ropes tying his wrists together loose. Jihoon brings his hands around in relief, rubbing his wrists where they were red. 

“Thank you.” he says to Soonyoung, but Soonyoung doesn’t meet his eyes. He stares at Jihoon’s wrist before gently taking it in his hand, his fingers ghosting over the red marks. After a minute of looking at them he turns around towards the horses. 

“Come on, let’s get out of here immediately. Wonwoo, you lead. Mingyu, bring up the back.” 

The two men move at his command, and Jihoon is led to Soonyoung’s horse and helped up, this time sitting in the back while Soonyoung sits in front to lead. As they start moving and the mansion gets smaller and smaller in the distance, Jihoon hesitantly wraps his arms around Soonyoung’s waist and rests his head on his back. 

“So,” he starts. “You’re the prince.” 

Soonyoung’s shoulders tense slightly where they rest underneath Jihoon’s head before expelling all the tension in one big wave. 

“Yes,” he said in a tired voice. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you. I didn’t want to freak you out, or make you run away,” he said. Jihoon arms tighten around his middle slightly. “Considering your bad history with royalty, I thought it was better not said.”

Jihoon hummed. If he was honest, he still couldn’t wrap his head around the fact that Soonyoung was the Second Prince. It seemed tpo wild to him, his concept of royalty only being the horrible rumors of mistreatment that surrounded the Amaryllish royal family. Soonyoung’s kind smile and his friend’s welcoming personalities didn’t seem to fit. 

“Then Mingyu and Wonwoo?” he asked. 

“My guards, technically,” Soonyoung replied. “But still my best friends. Wonwoo has been with me since we were small, and Mingyu came later, when we were teenagers.”

They rode in silence for a few moments, Jihoon letting the information sink in. Soonyoung seemed to almost be holding his breath, afraid of how Jihoon would react now that he knew.

“I’m still me, Jihoon,” he said softly. “I hope you can forgive me for not telling you.”

Jihoon took the time to think. Was Soonyoung different to him now? Did the thoughts of grandeur and royalty change Jihoon’s image of him? He decided that no, not really. Regardless of what he did and didn’t know, he knew in his heart that Soonyoung’s smile was real. That this past week of knowing each other was real. 

“Okay,” Jihoon said, tightening his arms around Soonyoung’s torso and rubbing the side of his head on his back to find a more comfortable position. “But you have to pay for the next two dinners we eat together.”

For a second Soonyoung is still, before his shoulders start to shake with relieved laughter, a smile lighting up his face. His hand comes up to rest on Jihoons, and Jihoon decides that anything was worth it if he could keep making Soonyoung laugh like that.

“Okay, Jihoonie. You’ve got it.” he agreed. 

They ride in silence the rest of the way, and when Jihoon is almost asleep, Soonyoung’s hand that’s still resting on his rubbing his thumb back and forth, he pipes up again.

“Thank you for coming to get me.” Jihoon whispers. 

Soonyoung breathes out a puff of warm air. “I’ll follow you wherever you go, Jihoon.”

And Jihoon believes him. For once, he believes that fate may have led to two of them to meet, and he believes that they were meant to meet. They were meant to find each other. He knew that fate would keep them together, no matter where they go. 

* * *


	3. Freesia: trust and thoughtfulness

* * *

The sun.

The thing that warms his earth, helps his plants grow, gives him life. However right now, it blinds him as it streams in through the windows, effectively waking him up for the morning.

Jihoon groans. Based on where the sun was in the sky, it was too early for him to be awake, and he shoves his head under his pillow and cuddles further into the blankets. However, annoyingly as he tries, sleep doesn’t overcome him once again. So he lets his mind drift in the warm fuzzy feeling of early morning, his thoughts flowing like the river behind his cottage in his hometown. 

It’d been a few weeks since he was brought back to Amaryllis and met the Crown Prince, Choi Minho. That means it had also been a few weeks since Soonyoung came and brought him home, and Jihoon found out that he was the Second Prince of Lobelia. Prince Kwon Soonyoung.

Jihoon sighs and lifts the pillow off his face to stare at the ceiling. He had seen Soonyoung, Wonwoo and Mingyu since their trip, of course, but it had felt like they were walking on glass with Jihoon. Like they’re afraid he’ll run away at a moment’s notice. He’s been meaning to talk to them about it, hopefully Soonyoung privately, but each time he’s brought up the topic, the trio either changes the subject or states they have somewhere to be. It’s terribly frustrating, and left him confused. Soonyoung is Soonyoung, hyper and sweet and clumsy. He didn’t see any reason why they had to treat each other differently now compared to before, why their friendship had to change.

And today was the first day that Jihoon was invited to meet Soonyoung at the castle. Jihoon had been studying constantly, taking small breaks when he remembered or when Soonyoung would visit him in the library. And now, just a day before the Apprentice Court Herbalist exam, Soonyoung had convinced him to give the books a rest and try to relax his mind. 

At first, Jihoon was a bit hesitant to accept Soonyoung’s invitation. He wasn’t sure if someone like him was supposed to be in the castle, didn’t think he would be comfortable in such a lavish place. Soonyoung reassured him that many of the castle employees come from the cities, and that it isn’t uncommon for visits. That eased Jihoon enough into saying yes (well, that and the smile Soonyoung sent his way, looking like an excited puppy.)

So here he was, unable to sleep in, staring at his ceiling with a stomach full of nerves. He just can’t seem to figure out if the main source of the fluttery feeling was because of his exam tomorrow or something else. 

He eventually sat up, deciding that if he couldn’t sleep, he might as well say hello to the world. Jihoon’s room had slowly been becoming more homey and full of personality after he had worked out a deal with the tavern owner to rent the room he had initially been offered. It was nice- a decently sized room with a bathroom and a small pocket that held the kitchen. When he first moved in there was a desk below a window and two big bookshelves flanking it on both sides. Very quickly however did the shelves fill up with books and a few nick nacks he’d picked up, or ones Soonyoung or Mingyu had shown him. His desk was a mess with papers and notes and open books with bookmarks, and on his window sill overlooking the town there was a line of jars and small pots holding budding plants and herbs. He had a few of the full grown versions of the baby plants scattered around his room- they made him feel more at ease. Jihoon always made an effort to say hello to his plants before leaving his room, even though it makes him feel a bit silly. But his plants always seemed to stand a bit taller each day he did it, as if they were as happy to be in his company as he was to be in theirs. 

Getting dressed and grabbing some bread and tea for breakfast was Jihoon’s short and simple morning routine, but he decided to take his time that morning. Washing his hair and towel drying it until it’s only slightly damp, deciding to wear a tan undershirt and a brown vest with small intricate gold vines weaving through it. He packed some books for light reading into his satchel and left his room in a quiet daze that only belonged to the morning. 

As he walked down the stairs and into the streets, he let his thoughts flow absentmindedly, and they wandered once again towards a certain white-haired man and his two friends, who had become a reliable presence within Jihoon’s everyday life. 

One of Jihoon’s habits was to watch and observe, only offering his commentary when he felt it was needed or when his witty nature took over him in the form of teasing comments almost without his permission. However his observations kept him safe and sharp, and he’s noticed that his favorite thing to observe about the trio he’s befriended is their laid back relationship. They tease each other more than having normal conversations, never acting too serious unless the situation calls for it. It almost always plays out with Mingyu or Soonyoung tripping up in someway, the other immediately commenting on how _Mingyu is so clumsy, really, he can’t even walk a flight of stairs without tripping over the miles of legs he has_ or how _Soonyoung always tries to act so cool, but remember that one time he fell into the water well because he was convinced he could do a handstand on the ledge_ and so on, resulting in multiple minutes of pointless bickering, and often Wonwoo stands behind them with an amused grin, or pushes their backs forward, exasperatingly reminding them of things they need to do.

Jihoon finds it all incredibly amusing and even sometimes cute, finding himself wishing he could have lifelong friends in the same way, but also feeling appreciation for the fact that the trio never failed to include Jihoon on their fun when he’s there, always making him feel comfortable. 

And now, as he walks through the streets of the Capital heading for the castle, he realizes how little he actually knows about his new friends. It feels like he’s known them forever, but in reality it had only been about a month. That fact didn’t sit well with him, for some reason.

As Jihoon reaches the castle gates, he remembers Soonyoung telling him something about going to the gates on the eastern side, which took less town visitors and more scholars and workers. While walking around the massive building, he couldn’t help but admire it’s sleek look, built with light colored brick and white wherever it could reach. The castle grounds outside the gates were surrounded by flower fields and stray trees leading down the hills, and when he stared out at the field overlooking the harbor, his eyes caught a figure sitting amongst them, crouching low in one of the paths that ran through the flower beds. Jihoon stopped in his path to curiously observe the figure a few feet in front of him, silent as though speaking would interrupt the slow flow of time that seemed to run through the air.

The more Jihoon observes the more he sees that the figure is indeed a young boy, maybe in his mid teens, a little smaller than Jihoon himself. The boy was running his fingers over the taller red flowers at his feet, a small basket of collected green herbs resting beside him. He was mumbling to himself, and as Jihoon walked closer to him in the path, he saw a small frown and pout on his face in concentration. 

“They aren’t ready yet,” he said quietly.

Jihoon looked over at the flowers the boy was speaking of, bright red petals with yellow insides, standing tall and proud in the direction of the sun. _Ah_ Jihoon thinks, _those are ortus pulmonem, they help with pneumonia. They’re also called ruby stars._

Jihoon looked at the small yellow star that’s seated in the middle of the flower, and his expression grew confused. Once the star has 5 points, it should be ready for use in herbal medicine. 

“The star has formed, though?” he asked. “Why can’t you pick it yet?”

The boy doesn’t even look his way, answering almost unconsciously, as if Jihoon was part of the mumbling words he spoke to himself. “It’s better to do it at sunrise when it’s most potent. Otherwise I’d have to waste a lot of the flowers when making the medicine.”

Jihoon’s eyebrows rose. “Oh, I’ve heard of some people doing that! Is the difference biggest in the paste or in the effectiveness on the patient?” He asked curiously, crouching down next to the boy, seeing a bit more up close his dark hair brushed away from his forehead, dark eyes and faint freckles over his cheeks. 

At his question, the boy seems to finally realize that Jihoon is crouching next to him, and that he was an actual person, actually talking to him. His eyes go wide once they land on Jihoon’s face, a redness spreading across his cheeks and ears. He seems to completely freeze, but after a couple seconds he mumbles something almost too quiet to hear. 

“Ruby star,” he whispers.

Jihoon hums in confusion and tilts his head to the side, his red hair swishing along with the movement. His questioning noise must have shocked the young boy out of his daze, and he coughs and looks down at his basket. 

“U-um, the p-paste.” He stutters through an answer to Jihoon’s question, hands shaking in nervousness. He picks up his basket, turns to Jihoon to bow, and swiftly walks in the opposite direction, away from Jihoon and the flowers.

Jihoon stares in the direction the boy ran off to, stunned. He shook his head to rid his surprise and stood up, brushing his knees. “Maybe he’s just shy,” he chuckled to himself. 

He walked through the rest of the pathway to the end of the field, admiring and saying hello to each flower on his way, pointing out all of their names which he had memorized. Some weren’t even medicinal plants- but he liked to know them anyway.

He finally reaches the eastern gate, he watches as a few people with books and scrolls walk in and out of the building, flashing the two guards a glass ID that hangs around their necks. Jihoon realizes, dumbly, that he doesn’t have any identification to get inside. He tries to look through the gate to look for Soonyoung, but he only ends up looking suspicious and making eye contact with one of the guards, his light brown eyes finding him easily. The guard raises his eyebrow in question, though he doesn’t look hostile or annoyed, which is a good sign.

Jihoon gives him a small sheepish smile and walks up to the gate, bowing slightly in greeting as he comes within talking range. 

“Um, hello,” Jihoon says a bit awkwardly. “I’m looking for Soonyoung?”

The guard on the right side of the gate focused on him, his eyes feline and gaze suspicious at the mention of the prince. “Do you have a written invitation and identification?”

Jihoon tenses, his heartbeat starting to pick up in nervousness. “Uh- no?” he said unsure. “He just asked me to meet him here.” The right guard grew even more suspicious at his answer and Jihoon swallowed a bit too loudly.

The guard he had initially made eye contact with on the left side of the gate stilled and made a noise of recognition. “Ah,” he exclaimed. “His Highness’s herbalist friend. Jihoon?” he asked. 

Jihoon loudly signed in relief and nodded his head with a smile. “Yes, yes that’s me.”

The guard smiled in amusement at his reaction, and turned to his partner. “Remember? Prince Soonyoung asked us to look out for a young man with unusually red hair.” he relayed, and his partner opened his mouth in an ‘o’ shape at being reminded of Jihoon’s visit. 

“Yes, that’s right,” he said. He sent a smile in Jihoon’s direction, curled at the corners and extremely handsome. “Apologies. You can step through the gate, the hallway should take you to the east wing.” he instructed. 

“Thank you very much.” Jihoon bowed his head before stepping through the doorway, walking down the stone hallway and entering a big room with extremely tall ceilings. He stopped and looked around in awe, the windows streaming in light to the white castle and casting the room in a warm glow. He saw a flock of birds flying through the clouds out of one of the windows, and belatedly wondered what it would feel like to call such a big place home.

“Jihoon!”

He whipped his head around at the sound of someone familiar calling his name and smiled as he saw Soonyoung excitedly jogging towards him. He stopped in front of Jihoon with a smile, his hair falling in his face and his fingers running through it to put it back in place.

“Sorry about that, I wasn’t sure when you would be coming. The guards let you through alright I hope?” he asked.

Jihoon nodded with a smile. “It’s okay, they were very nice.”

Soonyoung chuckled and waved Jihoon to follow him back down the hallway he had just come running from. “Yes, I’ve befriended most of the guards over the years they’ve worked here. The one with the pretty smile is Jisoo, and the one with the straight face is Hansol. They’re very kind.” Jihoon nodded along with the description, both of the guards faces coming to the front of his mind now that he has names to associate them with. He looked over to Soonyoung as they walked through the hallways leading to the courtyards, the arches across the ceilings making the corridor feel spacious and airy. Each time they walked past someone, Soonyoung greeted them with a smile and a kind “how are you doing today?”, knowing many of the workers by name.

“Do you befriend every person who works for you?” Jihoon teases lightly. “You’re quite the people-person.” 

Soonyoung’s grin grew bigger. “I try to! I don’t know everyone of course, since there are hundreds of people who work in the palace, but I try to remember the names of those who trust me with it,” he says in a soft voice. “They all work so hard, you know? I want them to know they’re appreciated,” He turns to Jihoon with excitement in his eyes. “And who knows, you just might be joining them tomorrow!” 

Jihoon smiles fondly at him. “Just maybe,” he echoed back. As they pass into the outdoor halls that outline the courtyards, his mind takes him back to his morning thoughts about Soonyoung, and he turns to him to ask about his recent avoidant behavior relating to a certain topic. “Soonyoung, listen, about the other week-”

“Ah, would you look at these paintings? Did you know they’re hundreds of years old? Wow, my ancestors are quite lookers, wouldn’t you agree?” Soonyoung babbles and cuts Jihoon off, walking ahead of him to look at the walls of the hallways. Jihoon’s eye twitches slightly and his lips push into a frustrated pout as he stops walking in the middle of the hall.

Realizing Jihoon had stopped following him, Soonyoung turns to look at him and comes face to face with the flattest, most unamused stare Jihoon had ever given him. Soonyoung makes a pouty face back, and then deflates as he sighs loudly. He walks over to the short wall lining the hall and sits on it, waiting for Jihoon to do the same. When he does, he avoids making eye contact. 

“Soonyoung.”

“Yes, Jihoonie?”

Jihoon reaches to gently grab Soonyoung’s shoulder and turn him until they were facing each other. Soonyoung had a slight frown on his face, and Jihoon reached out to run his thumb between his brows to smooth it. 

“What’s making you so anxious?” he asked gently. 

Soonyoung’s eyes bounce back and forth between his own, as if he were looking for something within them. He eventually looks down at his hands, not answering Jihoon’s question.

Jihoon decides to take a leap. “Are you still nervous that I think of you differently? Because you’re a prince?” Soonyoung’s shoulders tense ever so slightly, and Jihoon knows he’s right. 

“Soonyoung,” he says slightly exasperated. He reaches forward and takes Soonyoung’s hand in his own, causing his eyes to meet Jihoon’s once more. “It doesn’t matter to me that you’re a prince,” he starts, Soonyoung’s eyes holding a type of intensity he doesn’t know how to describe. “You’re still you. You haven’t changed or treated me differently since you told me. You’re still kind to me, you still spend time with me,” He smiles reassuringly. “It doesn’t change anything about our friendship.”

“Are you sure?” Soonyoung leaned forward to ask. “I just- I don’t want it to make you uncomfortable. And,” his pupils shake slightly in anxiety. “I don’t want you to feel like you have to treat me any differently.”

Jihoon shook his head before Soonyoung had finished the sentence, squeezing his hand once. “I’m positive. I wouldn’t treat you differently for something like that.” Jihoon’s eyes crinkle slightly as he uses his other hand to brush his own bangs out of his eyes. “You don’t treat me differently, even though I stand out a bit, right?” At this, Soonyoung nods eagerly. “Then I’ll treat you the same. You are who you are, Soonyoung, it doesn’t matter that you were born into royalty. You didn't have a choice in that, and who you are to me doesn't change because of it either.”

Soonyoung chuckles slightly before once again staring at their clasped hands. “Okay.” He said softly. But Jihoon knew he had more to say, but didn’t. He didn’t know what to do with himself at seeing Soonyoung so unsure.

“You can talk to me,” Jihoon soothed. “I won’t judge you, I promise.”

He waited a few moments for Soonyoung to collect his thoughts, and when he felt a small squeeze from his hand, he saw Soonyoung meet his eyes once again.

“I don’t mean to make it sound like I don’t trust you,” he started, Jihoon listening attentively. “If anything, I would understand more if you were mad at me for keeping it from you.” Jihoon frowned without realizing it, and Soonyoung chuckled as he reached his other hand out to smooth down the frown between Jihoon’s brows, just as he had done to Soonyoung before.

“I know you aren’t, now,” he said. “But I was scared you would be. Throughout my life I’ve had my fair share of people who I thought were my friends but,” he smiled, but it was bitter, lacking the usual light it had. Jihoon held his hand tighter. “They only really wanted my power. I wanted to keep up the illusion with you a bit longer. And I didn’t know if I could-” he cut himself off, looking down a bit guiltily. 

“You didn’t know if you could trust me yet,” Jihoon summarizes. Soonyoung slowly nods. Jihoon stays silent for a few moments, processing his emotions. There’s a weird mix of sadness and anger in his chest for the people who had tried to take advantage of such a sweet man. 

He tapped one of his fingers against Soonyoung's pulse to get him to look up again, and he smiled big. “It’s okay. I’ll just have to stick around longer, then. To keep your heart at ease, to prove to it that I’m not a threat.” he shrugged good-naturedly. “More time with you for me, then.”

Soonyoung’s eyebrows rose and his mouth opened slightly in surprise, before he smiled and breathed out a puff of air that slightly resembled an exasperated laugh. “You’re something else, aren’t you.” It was less of a question and more of a statement, and as Soonyoung’s shoulders started to relax, Jihoon kept smiling brightly at him. 

“Nope, I’m Jihoon. Just your neighborhood herbalist,” he teased as he stood up off the wall. “And I’m also your friend.”

Soonyoung laughed at his joke, and Jihoon pulled at their clasped hands to bring Soonyoung to his feet. “Right. My friend, Jihoon.” He repeated, the light bleeding back into his eyes even as their hands separated. 

Jihoon firmly nodded once in response before they started off once again down the hall. “Now, I assume we were going to meet with the other lucky friends of Kwon Soonyoung?”

Soonyoung led him to the second courtyard which was a bit further down the hall, and he spotted Mingyu and Wonwoo waiting for them. Wonwoo was leaning against a tree and Mingyu was sat crossed legged on the ground, and they were chatting quietly to each other. When they spotted Jihoon and Soonyoung walking towards them, they both smiled and waved.

“Hey Jihoon,” Mingyu greeted cheerfully. Jihoon smiles at him as he and Soonyoung sit on the grass next to him.

“You guys took a bit longer getting back.” Wonwoo pointed out with a small smile.

Soonyoung nodded and smiled back. “Yeah, we just talked a bit.”

Wonwoo’s smile stretches further, and he and Soonyoung share a silent conversation with their eyes that Jihoon couldn’t follow. “That’s good.”

Soonyoung leaned back to rest on his hands, looking over at Jihoon. “So, how have you been since we all last met?”

Mingyu leaned forward and nodded. “Exam’s tomorrow, how do you feel?”

Jihoon rubbed his neck in slight nervousness. “I feel prepared, just anxious. I’m scared I missed something.”

Wonwoo made a sympathizing noise. “I’m sure you’ll do fine. You’ve near exhausted every library’s medicine section in town.” 

Jihoon shrugged. “I’m just hoping it will be enough. I can’t live off my savings forever.”

Soonyoung hummed in understanding. “How about your morning?” he asked.

Immediately coming to the forefront of his mind was the boy he had newly met in the gardens that morning. “Oh,” he said, “When I was walking here, I met someone in the gardens on the east side,” Soonyoung raised his eyebrow in silent question, actively listening. “It was a boy, younger. He was short and had dark hair, dark eyes. Freckles too.” Jihoon leaned forward and laid his chin in his palm, his elbow resting on his knee. “He was checking some of the medicinal flowers.”

Mingyu and Soonyoung hummed in recollection. “You probably met Chan,” Soonyoung replied. “He works in the palace.”

Jihoon’s head tilted along with his question. “He works here? So young?” 

Mingyu nodded. “He’s the youngest Court Herbalist in Lobelian history.”

Jihoon’s eyes widened. “A Court Herbalist?” he asked in awe. The boy seemed so shy and in his own world.

He groaned. “Great, I made an amazing first impression,” his face settled in a pout. “I asked him a question and he got shy and ran away.”

The three boys laughed. “I wouldn’t worry about it,” Wonwoo said. “He’s very quiet, hardly talks to anyone other then the High Court Herbalist or his patients.”

The three boys then went off on their own tangents- telling Jihoon stories of small things that had happened in the days they’d been apart, and Jihoon lets his mind wander back to his thoughts of that morning once again. As he watched Soonyoung wave his hands about while telling a story, he thought about how he had learned a bit about Soonyoung’s life, which he had known nothing of before. It persisted in his mind, how he knew so little about his friends aside from the small stories they’d tell him.

When the story they were telling came to an end, he decided to take a chance. “Mingyu, Wonwoo?” they turned to him with open expression when he called their names. “How did you meet Soonyoung? How’d you come to work in the palace?” he asked.

They both smiled at his question, seeming completely at ease. Jihoon breathed a quiet sigh of relief that he hadn’t asked something wrong. “I came first,” Wonwoo said simply. “We were ten when we met, I believe. I knew from then on that I would be trained to be his personal guard,” he rolled his eyes affectionately. “Unfortunately we became fast friends.” He chuckled at Soonyoung’s indignant _hey!_.

Mingyu eagerly leaned forward to answer. “I came later!” he said cheerfully. “When I was sixteen, and Wonwoo and Soonyoung were seventeen. I became his guard once he was permitted to leave the palace without heavy supervision.”

Soonyoung chuckled as Jihoon’s face twisted in confusion at the later half of Mingyu’s sentence. “I’m the second in line, with an older brother,” he explained. “I’ve lived in the castle my whole life, and was only allowed to leave when accompanying my family on royal matters. When my brother came of age and took on more of the King’s duties, I was given more freedom. Mingyu was added as extra protection.”

Jihoon nodded slowly in understanding, turning to Soonyoung with a curious look. “You never left the castle?” he asked. 

Soonyoung shook his head with ease. “My first outing was with my brother, when I was thirteen. We traveled to the southern border to discuss the disputes going on there. I had only seen our city a handful of times. My first proper look was when I turned seventeen.”

Jihoon’s head tilted in concern. “That’s..” he trailed off. How was he supposed to say that he found that incredibly sad?

Soonyoung waved him off cheerfully. “It’s no big deal. Ever since the day I was allowed I’ve been exploring more and more. Everything is so beautiful to me. I appreciate it all,” he snickers to himself. “And I run around as often as I can.”

Wonwoo gave him a deadpan stare. “You run off when you need to do paperwork and leave me to do it,” he said. “We have to chase you down. Every time.”

The three of them laughed at Wonwoo’s misfortune. Through his chuckles, Jihoon felt something on the back of his neck. A prickly, uncomfortable feeling. One he’d felt many times before, the feeling of eyes on him. 

He turned around and followed the feeling, his eyes drifting up to one of the balconies on the second floor. He was just a second too late, seeing all but the remnants of a shadow escape his vision. A chill ran up his spine. 

“Your Highness!” 

Jihoon jumped at the sudden deep voice flowing over the courtyard space. He followed it and found an older man standing by the open halls, arms clasped behind his back and scowl present on his face. He stared at the four of them with almost disdain, as if the sight of them made him angry. His eyes zeroed in on Jihoon, and as they made eye contact, the chill running under Jihoon’s skin grew. He met the man’s stare head on, not backing down at the intimidation. 

“Lord Kibum,” Soonyoung stood as he acknowledged the man. “What can I do for you?”

The man’s scowl seemed to deepen, his nose pointed in the air. “Do you not have more royal responsibilities to attend to? If I remember correctly there are still charters from the Western Seas to approve,” His eyes flicked to Jihoon and back to Soonyoung. “There are much more important things to do.” 

Soonyoung’s face stayed carefully neutral, however his shoulders were tense. “Understood, I will be right with you.” He replied politely.

He turned to Jihoon with a smile. “Sorry, we’ll have to cut our time short. If you want, you can stick around and we can meet back up later?” There was hope in his eyes, as if he was really wanting Jihoon to say yes.

He sent Soonyoung a small smile and a nod. Soonyoung motioned for Mingyu to follow him, looking over his shoulder to Wonwoo as they walked out of the courtyard. “Wonwoo, will you stay with him?”

As Wonwoo nodded and the prince and guard walked away, they were left in a sort of abrupt silence, not expecting for their chat to end so soon. 

Wonwoo’s eyes followed their two friends and the lord as they walked into the palace, and as their backs got smaller and smaller, he turned to Jihoon with a small smile. “That was Lord Kibum, one of Soonyoung’s attendants.”

Jihoon frowned. “I don’t like him.”

Wonwoo’s smile stretched bigger. “Me neither.” he replied. He and Jihoon shared an amused look. He pushed himself off of where he’d been leaning against a tree. “Come on. I can show you the other gardens to kill some time if you’d like?”

Jihoon smiled at the nice offer. “Sure. Lead the way.”

\---

They ended up taking a break at some of the tables positioned in the gardens on the west side of the palace, which overlooked the end of the harbor and had grand views of the water. Jihoon realized that, like himself, Wonwoo was generally quiet. He talked softly and gently, like he was choosing his words carefully, and he was naturally polite and accommodating to Jihoon’s questions about the castle. 

Jihoon wondered if Wonwoo was always like that, or if they just didn’t know each other well enough. He knew that, for himself, he was always quiet when meeting new people. But, over time and with the right socialization, he doesn’t mind coming out of his shell a bit more, and liked having input in conversations. He was wittier than he seemed, and his hidden snark always seemed to surprise people when it came out.

However Wonwoo just seemed so calm and collected, like nothing could phase him. But it was laced with something soothing, like he was comforting whoever he talked to. It simultaneously made Jihoon feel at ease and on edge, his sort of locked away nature.

He and Jihoon also seemed to have a lot in common when it came to research and knowledge seeking. They spoke of the different books they had read and their favorite authors, ranging from professional research to fantasy. It amazed him how open Wonwoo’s mind was- he seemed to have a love for learning that revealed even Jihoon’s own, and Jihoon held an amount of respect for him the longer they were friends.

They had been sitting at a table talking about certain research genres Jihoon wanted to explore when Wonwoo surprised him with a change in topic.

“I had actually been wanting to talk to you for a while,” he spoke politely. “To ask you a bit more about yourself. I’ve always lived by the idea that if you give up a part of yourself, then you’ll be given something in return.” His gaze was deep and calculating, as if he was searching through Jihoon’s soul. 

“I found my way to Soonyoung because of personal complications with my father,” he said bluntly. Jihoon stared at him in surprise, not expecting such an honest start to a conversation. "He is rich, has too many children, and didn't want a son who didn't want to go into the 'family business'," his pointer and middle fingers folding to imitate air quotes. "So he sent me away to train with the guard. Because he and the royal family have connections, I was placed in the special position of Soonyoung’s personal guard."

He turned to Jihoon with a serious gaze. "I came from a family that was blinded by money, and frankly, was cruel, for many reasons," Jihoon listened attentively, not used to seeing this new side of the guard. "Thankfully, I found my way here. I met my best friend, and someone I want to spend the rest of my life with." A smile reaches his face at his confession. He leans toward Jihoon in his chair, his eyes questioning.

"I shared a part of myself with you. If you don't mind, I'd like to ask for the same in return." 

Jihoon realized what he was asking for. Vulnerability, which leads to trust. Wonwoo wants to trust Jihoon on his own terms, not just out of respect for his and Soonyoung’s friendship.

Jihoon lightly cleared his throat. "I was born in a mountain town in Amaryllis, both of my parents were merchants," he started. "My mother died when I was young from pneumonia, and my father couldn't handle the grief. He left me with my grandparents, and I lived with them until they passed away a few years ago from old age."

Wonwoo's eyes grew sympathetic. "I'm sorry." He softly said.

Jihoon smiled and shook his head quickly. "It's okay. They were amazingly kind people, and raised me very well." He watched the wind blow through the flowers in the fields, his mind full of nostalgia for his late grandparents. "They were both healers, and it was through them I learned herbology. I wanted to learn to heal people too, and I took care of them as they got older."

Wonwoo hummed in understanding, turning to watch the flowers along with him. "That's amazing," he complimented. When Jihoon turned to make eye contact, there was a new warmth and acceptance that wasn't there before. "You're a very kind man, Jihoon."

Jihoon smiled back, a warm feeling spreading through his chest at the realization that he may have made a deeper connection with Wonwoo than before, just as he had done with Soonyoung earlier that day.

After a few minutes of comfortable silence and their previous conversation settled, Jihoon leaned forward to ask Wonwoo a question. “I was wondering, have you heard any information on what type of test the court examination will be?”

Wonwoo hummed. “I assume you weren’t given much information?”

Jihoon shrugged. “All I know is that there’s a possibility it might not be on paper.”

Wonwoo nodded. “From what I’ve heard, that’s only half true,” he started. “You’ll be given a written exam along with a staged situation of some sort. I don’t have any knowledge on what that may be, but I do know that palace staff have been setting up the many small greenhouses used for palace gardening to prepare for it,” he crossed his arms over his chest and leaned back against the chair. “I’m going to make the assumption that you’ll be placed in one of them if you pass the written portion.”

Jihoon hummed and held his chin in his hand, a thoughtful look on his face. “They’re probably planning to put us in charge of an herb garden,” he thought out loud. “Maintaining the plants, fixing any inconsistencies. I wonder how they’ll be grading the outcome.” 

Jihoon balled his fist and lightly pounded on the palm of his other hand in a motion of finality. “This settles it. I’m going to do my best on this test,” he said with confidence. “Then I’ll be able to come to the palace on my own terms. I’ll finally have a place.”

“Ambitious?” Wonwoo pointed out, an amused smile on his face.

“I’ve been told.” Jihoon replied smugly. “I’ll never stop until I reach my goals.” He had never been a quitter, and put all of his energy into obtaining what led him.

Wonwoo nodded with certainty. “Well, I’m sure you’ll get the outcome you wish,” his eyes shifted to somewhere behind Jihoon’s head, and his smile stayed strong. “I think someone else wants to wish you good luck as well.”

Jihoon turned his head to look behind him, catching sight of Soonyoung and Mingyu’s forms walking out onto the grass towards their resting place. Jihoon’s smile doubled in size, the air around him feeling more content already.

“Bonding time?” Soonyoung asked once he was in earshot, stopping behind Jihoon’s chair and resting his hand on the back. 

Wonwoo and Jihoon shared a small knowing look. “A little,” Jihoon replied. 

Soonyoung followed the exchange with a smile of his own, his shoulders losing the slightest bit of tension that Jihoon hadn’t noticed was there before. “Well, as much as I love that, we’ll have to relocate. Lord Kibum needs me in my office to finish off a few things,” he turned to Jihoon with an open expression. “If you’d like, you can come with us, explore our book collection. I’m sure there’s something there that would interest you.”

Jihoon smiled. “Sure, I don’t mind. Are you sure I won’t distract you?”

Soonyoung’s hand came up to tame a bit of Jihoon’s red hair as it got blown by the wind. His smile bunched up his eyes. “You would do no such thing. Just you being there makes me want to work hard.”

\--

Soonyoung’s office was, just like the rest of the palace, huge.

Bookshelves covered it wall to wall, filled to the brim with old and new looking novels, chests, scrolls and stacks of paperwork. There were couches and chairs arranged somewhat haphazardly, and a large desk in front of massive windows that held tall stacks of what seemed to be important documents and charters. The afternoon light streamed in, and coupled with Soonyoung’s obvious presence within the room, it made Jihoon feel more comfortable then any other part of the castle he had seen.

Soonyoung immediately walked towards the desk and sat in it’s chair, picking up a smaller stack of papers he must have left previously. He looks up and flashes a charming smile at Jihoon as he’s inspecting the room. “You can sit anywhere you’d like.”

Jihoon absentmindedly nods as he’s still observing, watching as Wonwoo walks past him to gather some binders from a shelf nearby Soonyoung’s desk, then proceeding to stand at his right side, offering him the materials in his arms and commenting quietly when Soonyoung consults him. Mingyu stays behind and closes the big double doors behind him, turning to Jihoon and gesturing forward to tell him to walk around. Jihoon takes his steps in slow, his taking in everything around him. 

He reads the labels on the book shelves that separate them by genre, the medical and healing books catching his eye. He walks over to search, and his eyes land on one bigger book with a red spine a few shelves above his head. He stares at it for a few minutes, his brows slowly furrowing in a light glare, as if the book would float down within reach just by his sheer force of will. 

Eventually Mingyu comes over to his side, amusedly smiling at Jihoon’s predicament. He points at the book in question with a raised eyebrow, and at Jihoon’s small nod, he reaches his long arms up to effortlessly retrieve the red novel, bringing it down to place in Jihoons awaiting hands. When Jihoon pears up at his face, there’s a funny sort of smile, as if he was trying his hardest not to laugh or say something he’d regret. 

“Not a word.” Jihoon breathed through clenched teeth.

“I didn’t say anything.” Mingyu replied, pinching his lips together. 

Jihoon rolled his eyes and turned to walk towards the place he’d been eyeing when he’d walked in- the ledge that came out of the wall in front of the windows, lined with cushions. He sat down and pulled his feet up to get comfortable, feeling at ease in the sunlight and the comfortably quiet atmosphere. 

It was easy to drift off, easy to get distracted. Jihoon found that simply being in his friends’ presence lulled him into a sense of safety, and he was able to almost completely finish his book of choice before he realized he’d been missing something; he had left his small satchel in the courtyard when he and the trio had been sitting on the grass and chatting. He was aching for his notebook, wanting to go over his handwritten notes just a few more times, to ease the anxiety over his approaching test.

He sat up straight and raised his arms over his head in a long stretch before standing and shaking the pins and needles out of his feet. He noticed that Soonyoung had stood up from his desk to search in the bookshelves himself, and Jihoon walks over to him as he’s running his fingers over the spines of official documents, murmuring the titles to himself. Soonyoung looks up in curiosity as he sees Jihoon approaching him, and Jihoon gives him a small smile. 

“Getting much done?” he asks.

“Ah, yes. Lots of boring reports and lists.” Soonyoung replies, his shoulders sagging in disinterest at his royal duties. 

Jihoon chuckles as Soonyoung turns back to the shelves. “I’m sure it’s extremely exciting. However I just remembered I left my satchel in the courtyard earlier. Which way was it again?”

Soonyoung looks up at him in realization. “Oh, right,” he gestures with his arms, pointing in the direction the hallways turn outside the office. “It’s down this hall, then one right turn. On the left you’ll see the doors that lead to the outdoor halls. Just follow those and you’ll soon reach it.”

Jihoon nods in thanks and slips out of the room, softly closing the double doors behind him. He turns to walk down the hallway Soonyoung had directed him, grateful for the use of his legs. He stops once or twice to stare out the windows, watching the workers go from building to building, some walking alone and some walking in groups. As he found the double doors leading outside and pushed them open, he breathed in deep at the chance of having some fresh air. The breeze had been lovely that day, and the sound of it’s dance and the brushing of the trees in the courtyards made Jihoon feel calm and at peace. 

As he hurried to the center courtyard where they had been, a familiar sensation started creeping up his shoulders. He had felt it earlier, in that same spot, the feeling of being watched from a distance. He slowed his steps, measured his breathing, and kept his ears open while being as inconspicuous as possible. He was almost to the tree, when he stopped walking just in time to feel a fast and clean object fly through the air right past his head and into the wall, missing him by about a foot. 

He looked to where it had lodged into the wall; an arrow. Attached to it, a note.

Jihoon quickly turned his head to the yards, scanning them back and forth and up the balconies. Just as it had been before, a figure seemed to escape his vision just as he had turned it’s way.

He looked with narrowed eyes back at the arrow, slowly walking up towards it and yanking it from the wall. Once he held it up to read the note, he jogged to snatch his satchel up from the grass before whirling around and speedily walking the way he’d come, back to Soonyoung’s office.

When he barges in, brows furrowed and shoulders tense, Soonyoung and the boys turn their heads to him, eyes wide and eyebrows raised at his less-than discreet entrance.

“Jihoon?” Soonyoung stood up, alarmed. “What’s wrong?”

Jihoon says nothing, silently walks into the office and holds out the arrow for Soonyoung to take. He does without a second thought, immediately reading the note attached. 

His expression pinches in anger, his grip tightening on the wood. “ _‘We’re watching.’_ The hell?” he seethed. Mingyu and Wonwoo walked over to inspect it as well, similar expressions of seriousness on their faces. “Someone shot an _arrow_ at you?”

Jihoon nodded and crossed his arms. “It flew past me into the wall when I went outside. I had a feeling I was being watched earlier, but I didn’t think anything of it.” he breathed out a controlled but long breath to pause. “It wasn’t near hitting me. I don’t think it was shot maliciously.”

Wonwoo turns to him. “You think it was a warning.”

Jihoon nods. Mingyu pulls the note off of the arrow’s shaft, inspecting the make. “It’s simply made, doesn’t show a region or family who could’ve manufactured it,” he sets the arrow down next to the note, pointing to the paper. “It’s written in red ink to match your hair. Someone clearly doesn’t want you in the palace.”

Soonyoung growls and starts to pace. “Unacceptable,” he grits, turning sharply to Wonwoo. “Alert the guards and staff. Make sure every guard knows Jihoon’s name and description, and that he is my personal guest and is to be protected within these walls.” His glare deepens, angry at Jihoon’s safety being challenged. “Notify me of every single unidentified person in this building.”

Wonwoo nodded and set off out of the room, calling out to the patrolling guards in the hallways. Soonyoung takes a deep breath before turning to Jihoon with a guilty expression. “I’m so sorry. This will be dealt with.”

Jihoon’s furrowed brows shifted to concern, reaching out to Soonyoung to wave him off. “It’s not your fault,” he said. 

Soonyoung just sighed again and shook his head. “Unfortunately, there are some people on this staff that care highly for class and social status,” he said. “I can imagine some having choice words about you being so close with me and my personal guards.”

Jihoon continued to frown, but didn’t argue. He didn’t know much about palace life, but he could imagine the mindset some could have from only living a life of upper class status. 

Soonyoung stepped forward and grabbed his hand, gently leading him out of the office, Mingyu trailing behind. “Let’s get you home,” he said softly. Jihoon nodded and squeezed his hand, receiving a small pulse back.

As they walked through the halls, hand in hand, Jihoon catches glimpses of Wonwoo talking to each station of guards, relaying information. He noticed the guards saluting him, standing at the ready and heading his every word.

Mingyu followed his line of sight before humming at Jihoon’s unspoken question. “He’s the captain of the stationary palace guards,” he said. “He communicates to them for Soonyoung and I about castle rotations and events. He’s also in charge of their training, so they all know him quite well.”

Jihoon nodded in reply before slowly returning his attention in front of him to Soonyoung who had yet to let go of his hand. As if sensing him, Soonyoung turns to look at him in question before giving him a small smile. Jihoon smiles back at him, letting him lead the way to the same gates Jihoon had entered earlier that day. 

As they exit the palace doors, Mingyu breaks off from them to jog up to the familiar guards, Hansol and Jisoo, if Jihoon remembered correctly, to inform them of the recent events in the palace and Soonyoung’s orders. 

Soonyoung had been quiet in their walk out, silently holding onto Jihoon while he gathered his thoughts. Jihoon tugged on his hand and turned him, bringing Soonyoung’s focus to himself.

“You’re still angry.” he pointed out.

Soonyoung’s brows instantly furrowed. “Of course I am,” he said sternly. “This is very serious. Someone shot an arrow at you, Jihoon. How can you expect me to not be angry?”

“It _is_ serious,” Jihoon stressed. “It was scary. I don’t like it anymore than you.” He kept eye contact with Soonyoung, trying to get across his feelings. “And I’m angry too. Someone is trying really hard to keep me away, and I’m not going to come back without a fight.”

Soonyoung’s pinched expression relaxed, thinning out into an awed look as he stared at Jihoon in surprise. “If someone wants to keep us apart, then they can answer to me. I’ll make them tell me to my face if I have to. I’m not going to let someone who doesn’t know me, know _us_ , tell me how we should be.” Jihoon’s voice grew soft towards the end of his statement, but the protectiveness and confidence he had in his and Soonyoung’s friendship gave it power. 

Soonyoung’s surprised expression melted away into a mix between awe and exasperation. “You don’t know how to stay out of trouble, do you?” he asked. He squeezed Jihoon’s hand, pulling him a tad closer. “Alright, but promise me one thing. Please stay safe. Your exam is tomorrow, and I know how important it is to you.” His voice was soft and reassuring. “Focus on yourself, for now. We can deal with this when the timing is better, I’ll wait for you.”

All the tension faded out of Jihoon’s lungs in one breath. “I promise.” he replied.

Soonyoung nodded and stepped back, retaining the space they had before. A smile slid onto his face, but it was slightly off, like it had a bitter tinge to it. “You see?” he said. “This is how it always is. I make enemies so easily.”

Jihoon’s heart ached for the man in front of him. Soonyoung was nothing but kind, and open hearted, and Jihoon was quickly learning that he had been repeatedly repaid for his kindness with mistrust and betrayal because of his social status. It was cruel, and wrong, and he wished he could _fix_ it, make something in life better for the person that had become so dear to him.

And maybe he could. He would fight to the end to keep this friendship safe, to keep this bond he had created out of harm's way. He wanted to see Soonyoung happy and carefree, he wanted to work in the castle and carve his own place there, so that he’d have his own purpose for seeing Soonyoung that was rightfully earned. He wanted to contribute not only to the people and Jihoon’s own dreams, but to Soonyoung as well, in any little way he can.

And as Soonyoung continued to look at him with that smile, so bright but laced with underlying loneliness, Jihoon made up his mind completely and whole-heartedly.

He’s going to pass that exam. No matter what it takes.

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> some shifty things happening in the palace huehuehuehuehue-
> 
> oh my goodness hello! how have y'all been?? welcome back~
> 
> please do excuse my month long process on this chapter. you guys, let me tell you, doing complete online schooling during a pandemic while also working two part time jobs? 0 out of 10. do not recommend. your brain will start to feel so full it might explode. i think i'm just a pile of mush and caffeine, at this point. but we're STILL GOING. THIS AUTHOR IS A FIGHTER  
> there are a lot of things about this chapter I don't like haha. it was so hard writing this one!! ugh i don't even know why. although i feel as though, as i'm posting this at 2 am, that i found my way back on track towards the end of the chapter, which is good. i think i'm just so impatient and really wanna get to the good fun stuff, but you can't rush too much Westy!! gotta slow ur role  
> anyhow, there are still things about this chapter that I love, and tbh i could never hate writing this. it's still fun no matter how impatient i get asfhhjknmjkl  
> i hope you guys like it!! you're comments make me SO. HAPPY. i cant even describe to you. thank you for being patient with me and supporting me, i can feel the love and just want to return it tenfold ;-; <3
> 
> please anticipate the next update!! so many fun things are about to happen and I can't wait to share them with you!
> 
> sending lots of love xoxo


	4. Yellow Iris: pride and admiration

* * *

Jihoon’s chest just might explode.

“Good morning, and welcome to the examination period to be an Apprentice Court Herbalist.” A man at the head of the room speaks over the light chatter, quieting the small group of people. “My name is Seungcheol, and I am the Chief Court Herbalist. It’s nice to meet you all.” He smiles, his dark hair pushed off his forehead and his hands clasped behind his back. 

Jihoon sits near the middle in the rows of desks, his hands together resting on his table, eyes focused on the two men addressing them.

“Your exam is made to test your knowledge on giving herb gardens proper care and managing herb storage, as these are the main tasks you will perform as an apprentice court herbalist.” Seungcheol gestures to the papers that had been passed out when the testes arrived. “After you finish your written portion, you will be responsible for a small garden in one of the palace greenhouses. You will have one night and two days to show your knowledge.” 

Seungcheol’s eyes met each of the test takers at the desks and his smile grew. “You can quietly leave the test room when you finish. Start now. Good luck.”

* * *

Jihoon closes the door to the test room as quietly as he could, breathing out a sigh of relief as he enters the hallway. He could relax now, if only for a little bit, before he had to find his greenhouse later in the afternoon. He checks his messenger bag one last time to make sure he wasn’t leaving anything behind before he followed the other students who had finished down the hall and out the main doors.

When he walks out into the sun he stretches up, getting all the remaining tension out of his back and shoulders from his anxiety and hunching over a table all morning. He makes his way to the east side of the palace, past the familiar flower fields and towards the east gate. He smiles as he catches the eyes of the guards stationed.

“Good morning Jihoon.” Jisoo greeted politely, his stance softening slightly.

“Good morning,” Jihoon replied. “Soonyoung hasn’t left today, has he?”

Hansol shook his head. “No, he should still be around here somewhere.”

Jihoon nodded. “He said he would meet with me after my exam. If you see him, could you send him my way? I’ll be in the east gardens.” He says, pointed behind him. 

Hansol nodded with a warm smile. “Of course.”

Jihoon waved to both of them as he turned and made his way down the paths to the gardens. The red flowers were still stark against the green grass, and his awe for their beauty was just as strong. He slows his step as he enters, greeting the blooms group by group. He likes to imagine that the gentle swaying of their petals and stems are little hello’s in return. 

He finds a place towards the middle, sitting on his knees among the violas and the pansies. _The winter bloomers,_ he thinks to himself as he gently runs his thumb along their petals. _Strong little things, blooming year round._

As he goes to admire them further, a sudden pair of hands gently cover his eyes, blocking his vision from the colors in front of him. Jihoon smiles.

“Guess who?”

“I wonder,” Jihoon hums, earning a small chuckle from the man behind him. The hands disappear and Soonyoung plops down next to him, Wonwoo and Mingyu a further ways behind, walking towards them.

The excitement in Soonyoung’s eyes is palpable. “So? How was it? Think you beat it?” he asked.

Jihoon rolled his eyes fondly. “You don’t _beat_ a test, Soonyoung.” Soonyoung wasn’t phased by the answer, an expectant smile on his face. “I think it’s safe to say I did well.” Jihoon said with a smile.

Soonyoung pumped his fist in the air, falling back against the grass with a loud whoop. Jihoon laughed at his reaction, and behind them Mingyu jogged ahead of Wonwoo to reach them.

“Is that good? Did you do good?” He asked, Soonyoung’s excitement flowing into him. 

Jihoon nodded, and his friends congratulated him. “I still have to pass the observational portion of the exam first.” 

“Still, you worked so hard to study, it’s amazing that the first part went so smoothly!” Soonyoung countered. “You’re so good, I have no doubt you’ll make it through.” He said with certainty.

Jihoon chucked at his enthusiasm. “My brain feels a bit tired, but the greenhouses are the closest to what I’ve experienced in my work, so I think I’ll do fine.” As he rounds off the sentence, a bell chimes in the background, coming from a tower towards the inner part of the castle. Each of their heads turn to listen at attention, and Jihoon rises to his feet, brushing his trousers of dirt. “That must be me.” He said.

He takes Soonyoung’s hand and hauls him off the ground beside him, and when he stands, righting his vest and the sword in its sheath attached to his belt, Jihoon feels a little thought niggling at the back of his mind. A feeling, creeping up his lungs and into his throat. 

As the group walks out of the gardens and Jihoon listens to the three talk about their morning and the routines, this feeling doesn’t cease. Jihoon looks down at his hand in small concentration, finally looking up at the small call of his name when they reach the walkway back to the west campus, where the greenhouses were stood. 

Soonyoung was looking at him as they stopped at the intersection, a small question in his eyes. Jihoon took a small leap and stepped forward, wrapping his hand around Soonyoung's once more, like he had before. 

Soonyoung automatically squeezes his hand back, but his face is slightly flushed. “Jihoon?” he questions.

Jihoon looks up at his face, at the man who has given him so much support, and smiles. He squeezes Soonyoung’s hand one last time before letting go, forming his own hand into a fist, confidently holding it to his chest. 

“Now I’m ready to ace this.” He said.

Soonyoung stared at him in flustered surprise, before breaking out into a huge grin, his eyes fond. “You got this.”

Jihoon steps away in the direction of the greenhouses. When he turns around and sees his friends giving him encouraging smiles and waves, and the lingering warmth against his palm, his anxiety finally ceases, only for determination to rage in its place.

* * *

As Jihoon wanders into his designated greenhouse, he is once again reminded of how much he loves nature.

The structure must have been twenty to thirty feet tall, the windows calmingly clear and large, the amount of sunlight and warmth giving Jihoon a feeling of freedom and comfort, despite being in an enclosed space. 

The different varieties of herbs were separated by levels, and running aqueducts flowed between them. “Amazing,” Jihoon breathed, walking up the stairs to the second level, observing how the structure functioned. “The ducts flow below the soil, providing a self watering system.” He points out to himself. He had never seen such advanced forms of gardening, but he supposes he shouldn’t have expected anything less from the royal gardens. 

After a swift look around, Jihoon removed his hood and shawl and rolled up his sleeves. “Alright,” he said, walking to pick up the clipboard of information he was given, which also had where he was to record his observations throughout the night. “Let’s get started.”

He took his strolls through the gardens, noting down the small differences between the soils and pH values over time. As the sun sets, and the day starts to end, different flowers react differently to darkness. Some wilt slightly, though no reason for alarm, as it is a natural reaction. Some bloom even further, enjoying the growing moonlight and it’s glow. 

Just as he was writing down his observations for the moonlight flowers, he heard a small sound towards the south entrance. Jihoon stands still for a minute, before hearing the sound again, and he walks down the platform to investigate. From the middle of the garden, he could see both the north and south doors in full view, and just as he swears he sees a shadow outside the dark windows of the south door, the north door opens, and he spins around, only to be greeted with a familiar white-haired man poking his head in.

Jihoon sighs when they make eye contact. “Soonyoung, you scared me,” he says exasperatedly. “What are you doing here?”

Soonyoung walks in, sheepishly rubbing the back of his neck. “Um,” he stammers. “I had this weird feeling and wanted to check on you,” he said, walking further in. “Sorry, I didn't mean to distract you.” 

Jihoon smiles and shakes his head, meeting him halfway. “Don’t worry, it’s okay. But you probably shouldn’t be here, I don’t know how it would look for my score if they found you.”

Soonyoung winced slightly. “Yeah, didn’t think of that.” Jihoon turns his head back towards the other door, still thinking of the sounds he had clearly heard before Soonyoung distracted him. Soonyoung follows his line of sight, his eyebrow raising in question. 

“What’s wrong? He asked. 

Jihoon shook his head hesitantly. “I could’ve sworn I saw someone else-”

Before he could finish his sentence, the loud bang of the north door closing startles them both, their head whipping in it’s direction. Just as before, there’s a dark hooded figure on the other side of the dark glass, however this time he stares right at them as the loud click of the lock rings throughout the space, and then the figure darts away. 

Soonyoung immediately runs to the door, shaking and pulling on the handle with a frustrated groan. “Dammit,” he said, turning to Jihoon. “Check the other door.” 

Jihoon hurriedly walks to the opposite side of the greenhouse, tugging on the door handle only to receive similar results. “Nothing.” he calls back to Soonyoung, walking over to him.

He hears Soonyoung curse quietly before trying to tug harder on the handle. “Hey, calm down,” Jihoon tries to placate him. “We’ll just have to stay put until they come by in the morning for the inspection.”

Soonyoung grunts back. “Yes, but like you said, it could be bad on you if they think I’ve been helping you cheat.” He lets go of the door and sits on the short brick shelf lining one of the gardens. 

Jihoon watches him settle. “Do you know of anyone who would do this?” he asked.

Soonyoung shook his head and rubbed his face in tired manor. “No. But this adds to the whole situation of yesterday. This person doesn’t want you here, and is willing to try and sabotage your test to make that happen.” He sighs, frustrated. “And these doors have to be locked with keys, meaning it had to have been someone from the palace.”

Jihoon contemplates this quietly. The timing and situation couldn’t have been more inconvenient. He takes a breath and sighs, expelling the tension in his shoulders forcefully. “I might as well get back to work then.” He walks over to pick up his clipboard, Soonyoung’s eyes following his movements. 

“Have you rested?” he asked. 

Jihoon smiled at his thoughtfulness. “I took a small nap earlier after I ate. I just..” he trails off, taking in the breathtaking sight of the plants around him. “..love it too much to stop.”

Soonyoung chuckled at Jihoon’s reply. As he walked around the platforms, the two fell into a comfortable silence, Soonyoung making sure to give Jihoon the space he needed to work. 

After his second run-through, Jihoon notices the yellow flowers on the middle platform. “What?” he questioned. He walked over to the bundle, observing the yellow buds wilting towards the ground. “This flower is supposed to be in bloom from moonrise until dawn.” He crouched down to lift the drooping bud and observe it. He checks it’s soil, checks the water flow from the aqueducts, and finds everything to be in place. 

“So why..?” He reaches into the water to check it’s temperature, before cupping his hands to taste, confirming his suspicions. The sweet, tangy taste was out of place. 

He wiped his hands on his trousers and walked to the front of the platform stairs scanning the rows of plants and flowers. 

Soonyoung picks up on his behavior and stands up to walk over to him. “Something wrong?”

“Something was planted incorrectly in the middle row,” he replied, eyes still scanning the plants, his mind thinking hard to remember which plant had such properties. “When this happens it’s roots can produce toxins that harm the other herbs sharing the water and the soil. It’s one of the only downsides to the aqueducts system, but it doesn’t happen often.” 

“In order for the other flowers not to get harmed, I have to replant this section. But first I have to find what herb was done wrong.” Soonyoung raises his eyebrows at Jihoon’s plan. 

“Replant this whole section? Will you have enough time to do that?” he asked. Jihoon counted how many hours he had until inspection- roughly six. He nodded in confidence, about to answer Soonyoung’s question, before his eyes landed on a purple flower towards the end of the middle row. 

With a feeling of certainty, he walked over to the bloom and gently laid it on his palm, tilting it upwards to observe the pattern on the inside of the petals. 

“Find anything?” Soonyoung asked, following him.

Jihoon nodded with certainty. “This is _Red Dawn_ herb, not _Red Dusk_ herb,” he explained. “It’s hard to tell the difference without seeing them next to each other, but the slight speckled pattern on the inside is different. _Red Dawn_ roots are used to make a thicker syrup for lung disease, while _Red Dusk_ is used for soothing the throat.”

Jihoon rolled up his sleeves further and counted the items in the room he would need to replant the middle section. “It’ll take a while, but I should be able to do it.” He started walking over to the large sacks of soil that were stacked near the glass walls. “Soonyoung, help me carry these over.”

Soonyoung stepped forward, always ready to help, but he hesitated. “Are you sure? I don’t want you to do badly on this exam, you’ve worked so hard for it.”

Jihoon ran his eyes over Soonyoung’s pinched expression and smiled warmly. “Yes,” he said. “I’m sure I’ll be fine. And even so, as long as I have you, everything will be okay.”

Soonyoung’s face flushed red, before a delighted laugh bubbled up out of his chest and into the air. He followed Jihoon over to the sacks of soil, and together they slowly worked, shoveling dirt and delicately handling the blooms with care throughout the quiet but comfortable hours of the morning. By sunrise, both of their arms were covered in filth, but their faces were lit up with smiles and their hearts full. 

When the short knock on the glass door comes, the door is unlocked from the outside. The chief herbalist walks in along with his assistant, his brows furrowed in confusion at the locked door. His eyes widen when he looks up into the greenhouse, first sweeping over the room and it’s state before landing on Jihoon who was sitting on the floor at attention. He then moves his attention briefly to the other body in the room, before his face rests in an unamused expression. 

“May I ask what you’re doing in the gardens, Your Highness?” Seungcheol asks.

Soonyoung avoids his stare, face reddening. “It’s complicated.” he groans. 

Seungcheol hums before returning his attention to Jihoon. “Good morning, Jihoon. Mind explaining to me what happened here last night?”

Jihoon nods and jumps into his retelling of the night's events, explaining the locked door and Soonyoung’s presence. Seungcheol’s face remains stoic and contemplating, his arms crossed over his chest and his chin in his hand as he listens. 

“And what happened to the greenhouse?” he asks while gesturing to the slight mess of tools scattered about. 

Jihoon sat up straight. “Oh, I rearranged the middle bed of herbs.”

Seungcheol’s eyebrows rose in surprise. “You did? What for?”

“There was a bed of _Red Dawn_ herb that was mistakenly planted as _Red Dusk_ herb. The dusk was producing toxins which infected the water, so I had to replant them correctly to keep it from damaging the whole row.”

If possible Seungcheol’s face grew more shocked. “You noticed that?”

Jihoon nodded. “Yes.”

“And you replanted the entire row? In one night?”

“Yes sir.”

“I’m impressed.” he said. “Wait, did the Prince help you?”

Jihoon slowly nodded before shifting his gaze to the white haired man next to him. “Well, yes. I thought he could make himself useful. Not to mention, the middle row is exclusively herbs for poisons and life-threatening medical conditions. I figured those could likely save his life one day.”

Seungcheol and his assistant stare at Jihoon in unmasked surprise. There’s a tense minute of silence where Jihoon holds his breath before Seungcheol bursts into loud, unfiltered laughter. 

“Cheol,” the assistant starts, staring at Seungcheol with amusement. Seungcheol doubled over with his hands on his knees, breath still escaping him. Jihoon stares at the man with wide eyes, hands frozen on his legs, not knowing what to do with the chief’s reaction.

He eventually straightens with a loud inhale, smile bright on his face. “Well, Minghao? How did Jihoon do?” 

The assistant, Minghao, smiles down at his clipboard in his hand, amusement clear on his face. “He aced both sections, scored the top out of all the contestants this year.”

“Well, I guess that settles it.” Seungcheol said “Not only did you replant the _entire_ middle row in one night to fix a quite small mistake, it’s impressive that you even caught the mis-plant at all. I’m very impressed.”

Jihoon smiles at the compliment, bowing his head slightly in thanks. “You also took proper care of the rest of the garden very efficiently. Although, I must ask, if you don’t mind me being blunt,” Seungcheol questions, tilting his head with a small smile. “Your friendship with the Prince places you in a clear advantage. One word from him, and you would be accepted into the medical staff unquestioned. You understand this, yes?”

“Hey, wait-”

“Yes I do.” Jihoon nods with certainty. “I’m very aware of this. However, not only is using my friendship with Soonyoung to aid in my own selfish wants completely unfair to him, it’s also extremely inappropriate.” Jihoon’s eyebrows furrow. “I was an herbalist long before I met him. I want to carve my own place here with my own hands.”

Jihoon let out a slightly dramatic sigh. “Not to mention he’s extremely clumsy and comes to visit me with new bruises and cuts every week. If anything, he benefits from knowing _me_.” He jokes.

Soonyoung laughs. “Woah, hey now. If I did anything like that you would just get mad at me and sulk. You’re too stubborn.”

Jihoon grins at him. “I’ll take that as a compliment, thank you.”

Seungcheol watches their exchange with an amused grin. “Alright. Well, Jihoon, I’d like to formally welcome you to the Royal Medical Court. You’ll be starting as an apprentice to one of our herbalists on staff. The only question is who to pair you with.” 

“He’s the only one who caught Chan’s challenge and solved it,” Minghao pointed out. “They both seem to be pretty observant.”

Jihoon perked up at a name he recognized. “Chan?” he questioned. “The young boy? With black hair and freckles?”

Seungcheol sent him a pleasant smile. “Yes, it seems you’ve already met. I think that pairing will do nicely.” His face drops, smile dimming as his voice turns serious. “We will be looking into who locked you inside last night. I sincerely apologize.”

Soonyoung leans forward and rests his elbows onto his knees, eyes on the chief. “He was a hooded man, around six foot. Came around midnight. I couldn’t see much but I could tell he was blonde.”

The chief nodded. “Thank you. We’ll be investigating along with the guard if this is related to the recent incident.” Soonyoung nods at his answer.

Seungcheol turns back to Jihoon, the tense atmosphere lifting at the welcoming smile on his face. “Since you’ve been working so hard here, you can go home for the rest of the day. Your first day is tomorrow, and you can reach the medical wing through the North castle entrance. You’ll be given your uniform and ID when you come in.”

Jihoon stands up and brushes his knees of the slight dirt covering them with a smile. Soonyoung stands as well, lighting up at the news. They share an excited look, the urge to celebrate growing, but the need to be professional in front of the chief still more important.

“Thank you so much. I’ll work hard and I’m so excited to learn more from you.” Jihoon tells the two herbalists, bowing in thanks.

The two men smile and wave, turning to leave the greenhouse and gently closing the door behind them. Jihoon immediately turns to Soonyoung with a big smile, already finding a matching smile waiting for him. Soonyoung runs up to Jihoon in excitement, gripping his arms in glee. “You did it! You’re on the Medical Court, Jihoonie!”

Jihoon laughs back, happiness flooding through his entire being. “I did it!” He exclaimed. He doesn’t remember a time when he felt this happy and relieved. All his anxieties and worries seemed to disappear, and his only focus was on his future in the castle and the white haired man in front of him. 

Jihoon reaches to squeeze Soonyoung’s hand, his face completely relaxed and happy. “I knew it. You just give me strength, don’t you?”

Soonyoung squeezes his hand back, his smile fond. “I think you’re incredibly strong just by being you.”

* * *

“This is the main medical wing for the herbalists. This is where you’ll be working a majority of the time as this is where all of our offices and herb storage rooms are.”

Seungcheol leads Jihoon down the halls of the castle, gesturing to the wooden doors that were left open to reveal the rooms inside. Most of them were filled by shelves, desks and supplies. 

“Our staff is actually quite small, considering our tests are a bit hard to pass, as you know. We don’t take new employees very often.” Seungcheol walks up to one of the open rooms and knocks lightly on the door with a smile, gaining the attention of the two men inside. “Hey, this is our new apprentice, Jihoon. He’s starting today.” He gestures to the familiar tall man with slightly long hair and sharp eyes, who smiles at Jihoon in recognition. “This is Minghao, whom you’ve already met. He is my second hand.”

“Hello,” Minghao bows, his voice soft like silk. “I hope we can work well together.” Jihoon bows back in hello.

Seungcheol waves to the second man in the room who stood on a step ladder in front of a tall bookcase. He was decently tall with a long face and auburn hair. “This is Seokmin, he does the most of the filing and sorting of the kingdom’s medical supplies and medical documents. If you have any questions on specific medical history, he’s your man.”

Said man smiles wide and waves enthusiastically, his energy palpable. “Hi! It’s so nice to meet you!” He steps down from the ladder and walks over to shake Jihoon’s hand, his grip gentle and warm. “Your hair is super pretty!”

Jihoon smiles at the compliment, shaking his hand back. “Thank you. It’s nice to meet you too.”

Seungcheol steps forward to place a hand on Jihoon’s shoulder. “Come, Chan should be in the room at the end of the hall.” 

Seokmin perks up. “He is! He’s grinding some cocoa grass for me.”

Seungcheol nods and leads Jihoon out of the room, stopping at a room that was slightly more dim than the others, the curtains drawn shut. “Chan, I have someone for you to meet.”

Sitting cross-legged in the middle of the floor with a grinding bowl was the dark haired, freckled young boy. He pauses in his action, looking up and fixing his grey eyes on Jihoon with a straight face. Seungcheol gently nudges Jihoon forward, and he steps into the room and bows. 

“Hello, I’m Lee Jihoon,” he says. “I’m your new apprentice.”

Chan stares at him for a second before slightly nodding and looking down to return to his task. “I’m Chan. Nice to meet you.” He says quietly.

Jihoon straightens, observing the boy when he doesn’t say more. Papers are strung out all around him on the floor, half finished writings with a quill lying in it’s pot near his leg. Jihoon walks forward and kneels on the floor in front of him, carefully avoiding the boy's work.

“What are you working on?” he asked. 

“I’m grinding up cocoa grass for Seokmin’s storage,” Chan replies. “I also need some of it for an order.”

Jihoon hums at the reply. His eyes scan the desk behind Chan, eyeing the ingredients the boy has already prepared, but hadn’t mixed yet.

“Is it for neasle cough?” Jihoon hears a small hum in affirmation. “You have the cocoa grass, the water drip, and the honey flower. Just need ginger root, yes?”

Chan looks up at him at the observation. His expression doesn’t change except for the small quirk at the edge of his mouth. “Yes, that’s the last ingredient I need.” he replies softly. “If you’d like you can head down the hall to Seokmin and ask him to fetch some. Actually,” the boy takes the grinding bowl and scrapes the paste into a small sheet, folding it into a square and sealing the edges with a sticker. “Take this to him while you’re at it.” 

Jihoon smiles and takes the paste from him, standing and walking towards the door. It was then that he noticed the lack of Seungcheol’s presence. He turns back to Chan, who looks up at the gesture. 

“Those flowers you were looking at the other day. Ruby Star? You meant they were the same color as my hair, right?”

The boy gulps and turns down to the papers on the floor, his cheeks a flaming red. “Y-yes. They’re one of the only natural growing flowers with a pigment so bright.” 

Jihoon smiles at the sight, a small chuckle making its way out of his lips. “Well, they sure are lovely.”

Over the course of the afternoon, Jihoon and Chan work together on small tasks, letting Jihoon get used to the layout of the medical wing. He’s shown the majority of the storage rooms and how they’re separated, and Chan let’s him help make some of the simpler custom orders for the day.

Jihoon learns that Chan is extremely quiet. He doesn’t speak unless spoken to or unless he’s asking a favor, and he most definitely doesn’t speak about himself. However, Jihoon can see the fluidness in his movements, and the relaxed confidence he holds when working with the plants and herbs in their work room. He readily answers any of Jihoon's questions about medicine formulas without judgement, only patience. His presence in the halls reminds Jihoon of a friendly garden ghost, whisping away before you can see it properly. 

It’s in the later half of the day when they get a pick up for a customer and Chan lets Jihoon greet them. 

“Hello, you’re here for a pickup, correct? A remedy for stomach pain?” Jihoon asks. 

“Yes, that’s for me.” The man says. His hand rests on his stomach, and he stands stiffly, his body showing signs of clear discomfort. 

“Alright, it’ll just be over here.” Jihoon walks him over to the counter where their transactions are made, reaching behind it to retrieve the sealed package ready for use. 

“If I may ask… _he_ didn’t make this medicine, did he?” the man whispers.

Jihoon tilts his head in confusion. “I’m sorry, _he?”_

The man nods urgently. “The young one. Rumor has it that the kid puts poison in his remedies.” He shudders, a look of naïve judgement on his face. “Wouldn’t want _him_ making me anything.”

Jihoon’s shoulders draw taut, his lips stretching into a thin line. “Excuse me? And how do you know these rumors to be true?”

The man tuts at him, placing his payment onto the counter before crossing his arms over his chest. “I mean, there’s no _proof,_ but everyone says-”

“So you’ll just blindly believe them? Naively believe that a _child_ working for the _royal court_ would put poison in his medicinal orders?” Jihoon spits out. “Not only that, but you have the nerve to come here and order medical help, only to refuse those who work tirelessly to help you?” Jihoon swipes the money off the counter before slamming the man’s package down and sliding it forward. The man flinches at the smile on Jihoon’s face, full of anger and passive-aggressiveness. 

“Good day, sir. I do hope you feel better after taking your medicine.”

After the man stumbles out a goodbye and walks out of the room, Jihoon huffs in annoyance before heading back to the work room. Chan sits on one of the chairs, not even looking up at Jihoon’s entrance. 

“It’s okay.” he says quietly. Jihoon stops walking to turn and look at him. “They say things like that all the time. I don’t care.”

Jihoon’s eyebrows furrow. “You don’t defend yourself?”

“Why should I? It doesn’t matter anyways.”

Jihoon’s shoulders raise in tension. He walks towards the door, swinging it open. “You’re just- wrong. I’ll be back later.” He shuts the door a little too hard, the loud noise lingering throughout the hallway. 

He walks down the hall towards the outside garden, not staying behind to see Chan staring at the door with his eyes wide in surprise. 

“Well, that could’ve gone better.”

Chan whips his head to the windows, grey eyes coming in contact with blue and white hair. The Prince is leaning on the open frame, having been there long enough to observe the small quarrel. 

“Your Highness,” He says, surprise lacing his words. 

Soonyoung gives him a small wave and a smile. “Hey.”

Chan stares at him for a moment, before looking back at the door with an unreadable expression. “He’s mad at me.”

“Seems like it.”

“Is it because of what the man said?”

Soonyoung hums. “What do you think?”

Chan looks down at the quill in his hands. He turns it over a few times before answering. “I think it’s because of what I said.” He answers quietly. “But I don’t know why. People spread rumors about me all the time, I couldn’t care less about them.”

Soonyoung leans his weight in his arms on the window sill, looking at Chan with patience. “You might not know it yet, but Jihoon is kind, and respectful.” Soonyoung’s voice turns soft as he talks about the red head. “He hates when others don’t show respect for his friends. He’s protective,” Chan looks up at Soonyoung, meeting his gaze. “He doesn’t want people to talk bad about you because he despises when people treat others with judgement. He’s had his fair share of people spreading rumors of him, too.”

Chan nods before furrowing his brow slightly. “Okay. But why is he mad at what I said?”

Soonyoung nods in the direction of the gardens to his right, a patient smile still on his face. “Why don’t you ask him? He won’t blow up at you. He’ll appreciate the communication.”

Chan stares at the prince for a moment, contemplating, before nodding and standing, making his way nervously to meet him outside the medical wing.

\--

“I’m sorry.”

Jihoon looks up from the bench he was sitting on in the gardens. Chan is standing in front of him staring at the ground, wringing his hands together. Soonyoung stands a ways back, leaning against one of the trees, smiling. When him and Jihoon make eye contact, he nods his head in Chan’s direction. 

Jihoon sighs quietly before turning his body towards Chan, giving him his full attention. “What?” He asked. 

Chan’s eyes flickered up to meet him before returning to the ground. “I’m sorry for making you upset. Or- or I guess I wanted to ask you what I did to make you upset before... properly apologizing.”

Jihoon stares at the boy's face, realizing clearly for the first time that day that even though he may be his superior, he’s still a young boy. A boy who doesn’t know how to communicate well. Jihoon stifles a smile before patting the bench beside him, a sign for Chan to sit down next to him. Chan sits beside him, still struggling to make eye contact. 

“I didn’t mean to be rude earlier, I’m sorry if I’ve made you nervous.” Jihoon started. “I got upset with you because of the way you talk about yourself.”

Chan finally looked up at him, a confused expression on his young face. “You work hard, you’re incredibly knowledgeable and smart, and not to mention the youngest court herbalist in history,” Jihoon continues. “You’re amazing, Chan. I want you to have confidence in yourself.”

Chan eyes widen. He stares at Jihoon in shock, unable to form a response. Jihoon chuckles and ruffles his hair, receiving a surprised squawk in return. Jihoon sinks back into the bench with a dramatic sigh. “I didn’t mean to be so rude to that guy though, I think I scared him away.”

Soonyoung pushed himself off the tree and walked over to the bench, resting his hand on the back next to Jihoon’s head. “What, did you snap at a customer? On your first day?” he asked, an amused grin on his face. 

Jihoon huffed, a small pout on his lips. “You know I’m not good with new people.”

“That’s not true, you were nice to me!”

“Yeah but you don’t count.”

Chan’s eyes flip back and forth between the two as they bicker, his nerves from earlier slowly vanishing. Jihoon notices his silence and sends him a smile. “I accept your apology. I’m sorry too. Should we head back?”

Chan had always thought he’d be alone, left to sit by himself, only the plants to keep him company. 

But as he’s given warm smiles and his vision is filled with red and white, he decides that maybe some friends would be nice. 

* * *

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> OMG HELLO LOVES! LONG TIME NO READ!!  
> Back with a new chapter for this fic!! I promise you guys i will not abandon this fic, even if it takes me a hot second to update it. i like to write pretty long chapters, so i hope that makes up for the time in between postings. if you're still reading these updates, thank you so much for the support! i really hope you like the story and where it's going.  
> I'm so excited to bring you this chapter! Jihoon finally has his own place in the castle! An official member of the court look at him!  
> We meet a few new characters this chapter! Seungcheol, Minghao, Seokmin and Chan make up the royal medical court. There will be a little more on them later!  
> I'm not a big fan of the pacing in this chapter, but I really wanted to get past this point before heading into bigger plot points! After this is where it really starts to pick up, and i'm excited for y'all to read it!  
> comments are really appreciated! i love hearing yalls feedback, your support makes this all so worth doing. 
> 
> I hope you have a lovely rest of your week, stay safe and hydrate! 
> 
> lots of love xxx


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